Even Angels Fall
by AllThingsAnime123
Summary: When Sam and Dean are told they are moving to a brand new school yet again, they are less than thrilled. What can make the new place better than the one they'd be leaving? Nothing. Except, of course, for two waiting angels.. Sabriel and Destiel!
1. Breakaway

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Supernatural, any of the characters or any of the song lyrics used in the starts of the chapters, regrettably D: If I did, Dean and Castiel would have been waaaay beyond eye-fucking for ages now, Sam would have gone back to save Gabriel from Lucifer, and Lucifer would have suffered. Badly.

**Author's Note:** Yes, this is a secondary school [['Cos I'm English xP]] fanfic. It's not really AU, because the plot is very similar to the actual show. John's still a douche, Mary's still dead, Dean and Sam were still raised as hunters, there are still angels and there are still demons. As Dan put it, it's more of an Alternative Timeline xP So yeah.. Reviews would be greatly appreciated ^^ Thank you, and enjoy!

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><p><em>I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly<em>

_I'll do what it takes 'till I touch the sky_

_And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change and breakaway_

_Out of the darkness and into the sun_

_But I won't forget all the ones that I love_

_I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway_

Needless to say, the atmosphere within the motel room the Winchester boys currently inhabited was not a pleasant one.

The wafer thin walls were doing little to keep the furious argument contained, and every single person in the surrounding rooms were either burrowing their heads underneath their pillows or walking out of their doors, not wishing to hear any more of the tirade that had been steadily escalating for over an hour. The owner of the motel was seriously considering forcing his way into their room to order them to keep the noise down or face being thrown out early, but he decided he didn't dare. The mere memory of the rather fierce looking man checking into the motel earlier just under a fortnight ago, two teenage boys flanking his side, had been more than enough incentive for him to leave that particular room well enough alone.

Sitting inside the room every other resident of the motel was giving a wide berth, Dean Winchester watched from his bed as his younger brother and father screamed bloody murder at one another from opposite sides of the room. Elbows propped on his knees and hands supporting the sides of his face, Dean watched dull-eyed and frowning, pupils sliding from one to the other. Their father had just recently returned from his hunt, successful in killing whatever it was tormenting the town, and had ordered the boys to pack up their belongings. Sam, it seemed, was very reluctant to leave this particular place however, and what had started out as a petty complaint had spiralled and turned into a full blown row.

"I've got friends here, Dad!" Sam was shouting, arms thrown wide for emphasis.

"Having friends in our line of work is a mistake!" John barked back, "And it's for the best that you learn that now! The family business is a lonely one!"

"I've told you before Dad, I don't want to go into the family business." Sam snarled through tightly gritted teeth.

"Watch your tone, boy." John's voice contained just as much menace and ferocity as Sam's did. "Now I've given you an order and you'll follow it!" And with that, he stormed across the room and marched through the door, slamming it behind him.

The second he was gone, Dean slid off his bed and grabbed a rucksack. He began hurriedly shoving his belongings into the bag, aware that Sam's cold glare was now fixed upon his back. He paused in his movements, halfway through dropping an oversized _Metallica_ t-shirt in with the rest of the jumble that were his possessions. When he neither heard Sam move nor make any attempts to speak, Dean continued with his packing. After a further few minutes of stony silence during which all Dean could feel was Sam's icy glare, he finally snapped. Whirling around, he returned the glare with just as much force.

"_What_?"

"Why do you just follow his orders like a good little soldier?" Sam spat, the words tumbling from his mouth as if he had been dying to say them for a long time. Dean's temper was only fuelled when he reasoned that this was most likely the case.

"Because that's what a good son does, Sam." Dean replied shortly, throwing his bag onto his bed.

"Actually, it's more like what a mindless robot does.." Sam muttered under his breath, before speaking at his normal volume again, "Don't you get sick of _constantly_ doing what he wants when he wants? You've got your own life, Dean!"

Dean's fists clenched, but other than that he made no signs telling Sam he had heard his brother's insult. Trying to control his temper, the elder Winchester rubbed the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb. "It's not like this new place will be any different from this one."

"This place _was_ different, Dean. This place has something nowhere else does."

"And what's that? Sam, if you _really_ need friends, you'll make new ones in this new place." Dean sighed, aggravated. He personally agreed with their father's views; that being a hunter was a lonely road. Making friends that they were only going to end up leaving in a week or two was utterly pointless, and the sooner Sam learned that, the better.

Suddenly, something in Sam changed. His pupils slid away from Dean's and focused on a spot on the carpet, his head bowed slightly so that his brown fringe fell over his face, and his entire body seemed to visibly slump. Dean was so concerned by his brother's apt change of posture that he froze in all his movements, eyes glued to Sam.

"This place has Jess.." He mumbled, so quietly Dean only just about heard him.

Dean's angry expression cleared and he frowned sadly. It was no longer any wonder to Dean why Sam had reacted so badly upon being told to move. On any other occasion, although he protested, the arguments had never gone on for as long as this particular one had. And now it all made perfect sense. Sam had met Jessica in his class on his first day at their new school, and two days later they were in a relationship. She was his first girlfriend, and Dean could understand why Sam would find it difficult to part with her. But however much he hated seeing his little brother so upset, there was nothing he could do.

"I'm sorry, Sammy. Really." Dean said quietly, running a hand through his short hair. "But you know we have to follow what Dad says."

Sam didn't reply; just walked to his bed and fell face first onto it. Dean turned to face him and sighed. He couldn't understand the way Sam was feeling, having never really been in anything that could be counted as a relationship. They usually didn't stay in one place long enough for that to be possible. And besides, Dean's future was already laid out before him; the solitary life of a hunter. Sam still had the freedom to make a choice. Long ago, Dean had accepted that the only path open to him was the one of a hunter, but he'd be damned if he let Sammy take the same path unless he truly wanted to. And Sam had made it plenty clear how he felt about hunting. For now, all he could do was try and fix what their father had started, and calm Sam down. The job that was always thrown onto his shoulders, whether he wanted it or not; his wants were irrelevant.

"You'll make new friends, Sammy." He said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. "You never know. They might be better than the ones you made here."

Again, Sam didn't reply but he didn't need to.

His silence voiced his obvious scepticism for him.

Only just holding back the weary sigh he longed to release, Dean slid off his bed and continued packing his rucksack. After a while, Sam joined him but still refused to speak a word. Within the hour, both of the boys' things were all packed up and the motel room looked as empty and barren as it had when they first arrived. Sam took this time to sit on his bed, staring forlornly at his mobile phone. Dean stole a glance at it as he passed and saw Jess's number on the screen. As he watched, Sam's thumb jabbed down on a button, and the number vanished.

Not long afterwards, the unmistakeable sound of the Impala's engine drawing back into the motel car park reached their ears. Dean slung both his and Sam's bags onto his back and walked towards the door. When he reached it, he became aware that Sam had not followed, and turned back. His brother was standing by the window, peering out into the car park where their father was waiting, nothing but a silhouette in the dark shadows of the Impala's inside.

"Come on, Sam." Dean called to his brother quietly. They were the first spoken words between the two of them in over an hour of complete silence, and at the sound of Dean's voice, Sam jumped and turned.

And then, without a word, he walked across the room, past his brother and out of the door. A moment later, Dean heard the sound of a car door slamming closed. Giving the interior of the room one last glance, Dean closed the door and hurried down towards where his father was waiting in the car. He slid silently into the seat beside his father, dropping the bags into the foothold behind his chair. He stole a glance at John, and then at Sam. The surly-looking man was gripping the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles were turning white and his eyes were focused unblinkingly at the road ahead. Sam was staring out of the window, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, looking downright miserable.

Rolling his eyes, Dean turned away and stared out of his own window. He was sick of the constant arguing between his father and brother. He was sick of being on the receiving end of one or both of their tempers should he ever dare voice _his_ opinion, God forbid that he should have one. No, he was supposed to be the one who followed without question; he wasn't _worthy_ of having an opinion or a choice. He was just meant to pick up the pieces his father left behind, and he was the one that had to stand up and take care of Sammy while John was out hunting.

There was no time for him to get too bothered about moving from place to place; he had more important things to focus on. Like convincing Sam this new school wouldn't be as bad as he feared, and that losing Jessica wasn't the end of the world. Just like normal, he, Dean, would be adopting the role of a parent and consoling Sam. That was just the way things were.

* * *

><p><em>Knock, knock<em>.

Gabriel rapped his fist as quietly as possible on the wooden door. As he waited, he glanced up and down the darkened hallway, ears pricked for the slightest sound of movement. When he received no reply from the other side of the door he was currently crouched in front of, he frowned, and turned back to face the wooden surface. He raised his fist and knocked again, this time harder.

_Knock, knock_.

Again, he checked the corridor straight after making the soft noise, but just like the last time, there were no sounds of movement anywhere else in the house. And yet again, there was no response from behind the door. Gabriel's frown deepened, and he curled his hand around the handle. It moved easily down in his grip, and the door swung away from him with a gentle creak. He straightened up from his crouched position and crept into the room, closing the door behind him as he did so. Moving slowly, he slid the bolt across so that the door was locked as it should have been. Had he known it was unlocked, he wouldn't have wasted so much time spent crouching in an uncomfortable position.

But the unlocked door was doing more than annoying him; it was sending a cold wave of apprehension spreading around his body. Gabriel's youngest brother was meticulous about everything in his life. There was little change, little altering of his schedule. Rarely did he stray from his chosen path and even then, he did so with an air of anxiety and fear. And locking his bedroom door at night was one of the rituals he carried out every single day, as soon as he went to bed. So to find his door unlocked at around midnight when Castiel had vanished up into his room a good two hours ago was concerning for Gabriel.

Trying to ignore the surge of fear now nestling in the pit of his stomach, Gabriel turned on his heel and peered around the bedroom he stood in. The calming, sky blue walls were lit up by a lamp sitting on the bedside table, casting a soft orange glow around the room. The plain white duvet looked untouched, the pillows without a crease. The bed hadn't been so much as sat on. Thinking quickly, Gabriel's pupils slid to the window, and a small smile crept onto his face when he saw that it was open, the curtains wafting slightly in the gentle breeze. Letting out a breath of relief, he ran a hand through his mop of light brown hair.

"Jeez Castiel, could you at least tell me where you're going..?" He mumbled under his breath before he crossed the room and slid the window up fully.

He leant out so far that his abdomen was pressed to the windowsill and turned his head towards the roof. There was no sign that his brother really _was_ up there, but Gabriel knew that Castiel had more sense than to make it obvious. He doubted that many of the families in the houses that surrounded theirs would find the sight of a teenage boy sitting on the rooftop a normal sight. It would raise some odd questions, to say the least. And Gabriel highly doubted their Father would appreciate having to explain that away whenever He came home from wherever it was He'd gone this time.

Gabriel backed into his little brother's bedroom and slid the window closed. Taking a moment to pause and listen, he stood with his hand aloft, thumb already balanced on his finger. When he had made sure the sleepy atmosphere was still over the house, he snapped his fingers. A moment later, he landed on the roof of their house, slipping a little on the smooth tiles. Lying on his back, staring up at the sky above, was Castiel, who hadn't even flinched as his brother appeared out of thin air before him. He was huddled up in a tan trench coat, wrapping it around his pyjama clad body with his arms that rested on his stomach. Gabriel walked over the tiles, icy cold on his bare feet, and settled down next to his brother.

"What brings you up here, bro?" He asked, tilting his head back to look at the sky too.

Castiel's blue eyes remained unblinkingly fixed on the massive span of inky black above them, dotted with the odd silver spot. His features, as usual, were fixed in his usual serious expression; the only thing that seemed alive about him were his eyes. They were shimmering brightly in the pale moonlight above his and Gabriel's heads, reflecting the stars.

"I needed to think, Gabriel." Castiel replied eventually, not taking his eyes away from the night sky.

"And you need to come to the roof to do that?" Gabriel asked. "Normal people go on walks."

"We are not normal, are we?"

Gabriel drew a blank at this, not certain of how to reply. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever floats your boat."

"I do not understand that reference. I am certain that it is no choice of mine what makes a boat able to float."

"Just forget it, Castiel.." Gabriel muttered, trying to hold back the snigger that threatened to escape. His brother could be so dense sometimes. "And what, may I ask, are you thinking about?"

When Castiel made no attempts at replying to his brother, Gabriel adjusted the way he was sitting, the tiles far too cold on his bare skin. Still, that'd teach him for walking about on the roof at night in just a vest and boxer shorts. It was alright for Castiel, he was perfectly warm in that trench coat; Gabriel was _freezing_ waiting for a response. As Castiel continued to lie there as if he had all the time in the world, Gabriel only just managed to supress a sigh and snapped a jacket out of thin air, which he wrapped around his torso.

Gabriel tucked his knees up against his chest and hugged them, willing his Grace to warm him up, even if it was just a little bit. As he did this, he kept his eyes fixed on Castiel. The young angel was awkward and utterly hopeless at any social situation. He could barely speak to anyone outside of his family and even then it was mainly he, Gabriel, that he conversed with. They weren't exactly blessed with a great family. Their two elder brothers, Lucifer and Michael, were constantly at one another's throats, sometimes physically as well as verbally. Raphael, younger than Gabriel by one year, adored stirring up trouble between the two of them; it was his favourite form of entertainment. He also seemed to love teasing Castiel, but Gabriel quickly put a stop to that. Out of all of his brothers, he felt the closest to Castiel; he just seemed to be much more _human_ than the others were. Just like he, Gabriel, was.

"Castiel, it wasn't a difficult question.."

"But it has a complex answer."

"Can't really help you with what's in your head, bro." Gabriel reminded him. "You're just gonna have to tell me what you're thinking about up here in the freezing cold when you could just as easily be tucked up in your nice, warm bed."

Again, Castiel paused a few moments before he answered. "Something's coming."

Gabriel was tempted to crack a joke about how cliché that sentence had sounded, but he reminded himself at the last minute that Castiel probably wouldn't have understood why, thus the hilarity of the moment would have been totally wasted. So instead, he opted for a very simple, "What?"

Castiel finally sat up and stared his brother straight in the eye as he spoke. "I am unsure, but I feel as if something is coming. Something big."

Gabriel could resist it no longer. It was almost as if Castiel were choosing his words deliberately, picking sentences and phrases that he _knew_ would tempt his elder brother.

"Wow, all we're missing here is the dramatic 'dun dun duuuun!' music.."

True to form, Castiel's head tilted to the side and his frown deepened. "I do not understand that -"

"Never mind.." He interrupted, bringing his palm to his forehead in mock exasperation.


	2. I Miss You

_Hello there, the angel from my nightmare_

_Where are you?_

_And I'm so sorry_

_I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight_

_I need somebody and always, this sick strange darkness_

_Comes creeping up on me so haunting every time_

_Don't waste your time on me; you're already the voice inside my head_

_I miss you_

Sam took a deep breath, staring at the closed classroom door in front of him. He shifted the weight of his rucksack on his shoulder slightly to ease the ache, but it did nothing to reduce the pain inside him. He wanted more than nothing else to be back in the town they had just left.

For once in his life, he had been popular. He had made friends with tons of people, and most importantly he had had Jess. He had clung to the faint hope that the two of them could remain friends, but that faith had been snatched from him too not half an hour ago. He had memorised Jess' number, so deleting it from his phone had done nothing but create the illusion he was moving on and following his father's every order. After their father had dropped them off and driven away, and Dean had gone off looking for his classroom, Sam had gone straight for his phone to call her. But it was evident she was furious at him; she had ignored his call and had yet to reply to the text he sent soon after. The whole episode had made what was already promising to be a sucky day even worse.

Just as Sam lifted his arm to open the door, it swung inwards away from him. He jumped, shrinking back slightly in shock as the sound of giggling drifted out from the classroom. A short, squat man stood in the doorway, arms folded across his chest. Sam, who had shot up over the past year or so, stood taller than him at his full height.

"Samuel Winchester, I presume?" The man said in a rough voice. Mutely, Sam nodded, and the man turned to the clock on the wall behind him. "Not a good start. Get in, then."

Still not saying a word, Sam walked past him, head slightly bowed. The teacher shut the door behind him and stood at Sam's side, observing the class. Sam risked a glance up. Every pair of eyes was fixed on him. A blonde girl sat in the very front row was staring at Sam in an almost hungry fashion, a wide smile beginning to spread over her face. Feeling uncomfortable, Sam looked away.

"At the back, Winchester." The teacher ordered. Sam, gripping the strap of his rucksack tighter, began to make his way to the back of the room towards the desk with the only spare seat. Next to it was a boy with an untidy mop of dark hair that sat in rigid spikes on his head. He was dressed in a pair of dark trousers and a white shirt as well as a sapphire-blue tie. Draped around him, bizarrely, was a tan trench coat. Deep blue eyes stared at Sam for a moment, before they glided back to staring out of the window. Before Sam could take a second step, however, the blonde girl raised her hand.

"Sir, he can sit next to me if he wants!"

"There's no spare seat next to you, Rosen." The teacher replied coldly. "Next to Castiel, please Winchester."

Sam walked rather quickly past the blonde girl who was still staring right at him as he moved past. All the way to the back of the classroom, eyes followed him. He was beginning to get incredibly irritated with it. It wasn't like they didn't have anything better to do than stare at him like he was some caged animal, was it? He slid into the chair beside the boy, Castiel, who still hadn't looked away from the window. As he reached into his bag and pulled out his notebook, he spotted the blonde girl turning around in her seat, her eyes still glued to him.

Groaning, he dropped the book onto the tabletop and rested his forehead on it. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with any of this right now. All he wanted to do was go back to Jessica, beg for forgiveness and hope that she'd take him back.

Unbeknownst to Sam, Castiel's blue eyes had shifted from the window to the younger Winchester himself. For some reason he couldn't quite put his finger on, just sitting near the boy was giving him an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Frowning slightly, he turned his attention back to the grounds outside.

This was something he would have to talk to Gabriel about.

* * *

><p>At the same time Sam was dialling Jessica's number, Dean was strolling into his new classroom, hands shoved deep inside the pockets of his jeans, looking thoroughly unimpressed with his surroundings. He was so bored with repeating the age old routine of introducing him to the class he would only be a part of for a fortnight at the most, so sick of all the teachers who always had the same monotonous message; Misbehave and you'll regret it. Dean wasn't fazed by it in the slightest; it wasn't like his father would care if he got himself kicked out of the school. In fact, the only lecture he'd be likely to get if that happened was one concerning Sam's safety, and it wasn't like the school could <em>stop<em> him from coming in to make sure his little brother was alright if he did get expelled.

The bottom line was Dean honestly didn't care about his education. He knew what he was going to be in the future, and that certainly didn't require vast amounts of knowledge on anything in a school's curriculum. So, as the rest of the students in his new class eyed him up and down and the teacher babbled on, explaining who he was, Dean just stood there, cocky smile in place. It was a look he had honed to perfection.

"Okay Dean, if you would like to take a seat just there, we can begin." The teacher said in a bubbly voice, pointing to a seat beside a boy with short, jet black hair. He wore a darkly coloured suit, and a cocky grin that mirrored Dean's perfectly. "And you'll need your books."

"I didn't bother getting them." He said, his indifference clear in his voice.

The teacher raised her eyebrows at him, and folded her arms over her chest. "You didn't think you'd need the school books for school?" Her tone contained a slightly patronising edge, and Dean felt his hackles rise when a couple of the girls tittered. Never one to be outdone however, he calmed his temper and shrugged, smirking at her.

"We're never in one place for too long, so I didn't bother."

"Well every second should count for you, shouldn't it? You can borrow some of the spares. Go and sit down and I'll fetch them for you."

As she bustled away to the desk at the front of the room, Dean rolled his eyes and walked over to the boy. He slid into the seat next to him, sitting slumped. He wanted more than anything to be out of this classroom; it was already grinding on his nerves. Beside him, the dark haired boy's gaze had flitted from the teacher to Dean several times before he grinned and spoke in a strong British accent.

"None too bright, are we Winchester?"

Dean shot the boy an icy glare. "What?"

"You didn't think she'd have spares? You're going to have to try harder than that, darling."

Dean visibly bristled. "What did you just call me?" He asked through tightly gritted teeth.

The boy smirked and leant away again. "You're lucky you've got looks, Winchester."

It was extremely fortunate for the boy in Dean's opinion that the teacher chose that moment to return with an armful of books for him. He didn't take his eyes off the boy though, not even when the teacher cleared her throat rather loudly. In the end, she simply sighed and deposited the books on the desktop in front of him, before she strode off back to the front. The second she was out of earshot, Dean lowered his voice to a tone so venomous, it was practically dripping poison.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The boy opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut across by another voice. This one, also male, was much lighter than the British boy's.

"Crowley, play nice."

Both Dean and Crowley turned to face the front, Crowley grinning in an amused sort of way and Dean still glaring daggers. The boy in the seat in front of them had swivelled around in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, one elbow propped on the back of the chair. He had light brown hair, messy and just a bit on the long side; it flicked upwards and outwards at the ends. His eyes were a bright amber colour, and there was a sparkle of mischief flickering deep within them. He wore a dark green jacket and a plain red shirt with jeans and trainers. He was grinning at Dean, but addressed Crowley.

"It's not nice to pick on the new kid on his first day, after all."

Dean's temper immediately flared to new heights. He had to curl his hands into tightly clenched fists to stop him from reaching forwards and grabbing a handful of the boy's shirt. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to pull the boy over and punch the smug grin off his face. To Dean's surprise, the boy's eyebrows rose and he looked impressed for a second. As if he had read Dean's mind, he glanced at his front and pulled a little of the shirt's material away from his body. Then he met Dean's eyes and grinned wider than ever.

"If you think you have the guts, I dare ya, Deano."

"Shove it." He snarled.

The boy blinked, and his smile faltered slightly, as if he were disappointed Dean hadn't leant across to grab him. He released his shirt and turned to Crowley. The boy simply raised his eyebrows and smirked.

"Awwh, he's adorable." The boy in front said, clasping his hands together. Dean felt his temper almost reach boiling point, but instead of reacting, he grabbed his pen and started copying the notes the teacher had just written on the board.

"Hey, leave him be." The girl next to the boy snapped, prodding him in the arm. She had long blonde hair that fell slightly curly over her shoulders, and her eyes were like brown steel. She wore a black vest top and jeans that came to the heels of her boots.

"We're only having a bit of fun with him, Harvelle." The boy glanced over at her, still with that stupid grin on his face.

"Just pick on someone your own size, okay?"

"It's not right for someone his age to go around beating up toddlers." The words had escaped from Dean's mouth before he could stop himself or think of something that was even _remotely_ witty.

Compared to other insults he had come up with in the past that one had been utterly _pathetic_. To his surprise though, the girl turned to face him, practically beaming. Dean couldn't help but notice she was actually quite pretty. On any other occasion, he would have started openly flirting with her, but at that moment, he was in too much of a temper to do so. Beside him, Crowley was sniggering under his breath, and clapped a hand onto Dean's shoulder. Dean shoved him off, scowling over at him. In response, Crowley rolled his eyes and leant away, still smirking. The boy in front looked mildly impressed, and he was nodding his head slightly.

"Not bad, Winchester. Not bad."

"Gabriel, turn around please." The teacher called.

Dean caught the boy's eye as he grinned once more, before he winked and turned around in his seat. The hand Dean gripped his pen in tightened so much so it was a wonder it didn't snap in half. Not even ten minutes into the day and he already wanted to kill two of his classmates. He found himself wishing that their time in this particular school lasted as short a time as possible.

* * *

><p>Sam wasn't in any particular hurry to pack up his bag as the bell echoed around the entire school building, announcing the start of break. At the front of the room, he could just make out Becky Rosen, staring intently over at him as she had been all morning. Sam only knew her name because as they left one classroom and entered another, she practically ran to him and introduced herself. She had tried to pull him into a seat next to her in their next lesson but he had managed to slip through her clutches and ended up at the back next to Castiel once again. Once again though, the boy had barely looked at him, let alone begun a conversation.<p>

Just as he was making a big deal out of putting his notebook into his rucksack, he risked a glance up. Becky was still hanging around, eyes flitting between him and the door.

"Just go.." He mumbled under his breath. "Please, just go.."

"If you wish for her to leave, why not tell her so?"

Sam nearly left his seat he jumped so hard, and whirled around. Castiel was getting to his feet beside him, swinging a bag onto his shoulder. His blue eyes were fixed unblinkingly on Sam's. Sam found it a little unsettling, and had to turn his attention back to pretending to pack his bag. He found the boy's eyes a little too probing; like they were staring into the very depths of his being. Like they were seeing more than Sam wanted him to. It was a very peculiar feeling; like being x-rayed. And his voice was odd too; very gravelly and deep for somebody his age.

"I can't just go and tell her to leave.." Sam mumbled from the corner of his mouth.

Castiel tipped his head to the side slightly. "Why not? You do not wish for her to accompany you, why not tell her so?"

Sam stared at him in disbelief. Before he could answer, the classroom door opened and another boy walked in. He had short dark hair that stuck up slightly, and he looked as if he hadn't had any proper sleep for a long while. His dark eyes, which were fixed on Becky, quickly sped to Sam and back again. He was holding a notepad in one hand and a pen in the other, his bag half slipping from his shoulder.

"C'mon, Becky." He said, inclining his head towards the door. "We gotta go."

Becky gave Sam one last wistful look which he pretended to miss, before she sighed. "Alright Chuck." She smiled over at Sam who quickly buried his face into his bag, before she left the room, Chuck trailing behind her. As soon as they were gone, Sam removed his head from the inside of his bag and breathed a sigh of relief, slumping back into his seat.

Not wanting to hang around in case she gave Chuck the slip and doubled back, Sam grabbed his bag and hurried towards the door, Castiel right behind him. Sam yanked the door open and dashed out into the hallway, not sure whether he wanted to tell Dean about his potential stalker or not. He was so desperate to put as much distance between himself and that classroom as possible, he didn't notice that Castiel was following him, watching him closely. He still felt that uneasy feeling around Sam, and he wanted to know why.

He was so focused on keeping on Sam's trail however, he didn't notice that he had walked right into the path of a tall boy going in the opposite direction. He walked straight into Castiel who, not expecting the contact at all, staggered and fell right over. Sam, hearing the thump, came to a halt and spun around. Castiel was sitting on the floor in front of a boy with dark skin. He had very short black hair and cold, unfeeling eyes. He wore a red and black chequered shirt, jeans and boots. He was glaring down at Castiel, a look of upmost loathing in his eyes. A small crowd had started to gather, watching the scene before them. Castiel's eyes were fixed on the floor, and he seemed to be trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Watch where you're going." The boy snapped menacingly.

"Why don't you? You're the one that walked into him!" Sam snapped, marching over to Castiel and helping him to his feet.

"You picking a fight?" He snarled.

"Sam, leave it." Castiel whispered urgently into his ear, hands tightening around the younger Winchester's arm as he tried to gently tug him away. Sam, however, especially after his previous experiences with Dirk McGregor at Truman High, was not ready to just let it go.

"I'll fight him if that's what he wants." Sam growled, stepping towards the boy. The crowd around them grew a faint gasp in unison, and the boy in front looked mildly shocked, as if no-one had dared stand up to him before. He scowled at Sam, and rolled up his sleeves.

"Fine by me."

"Now _that_ wouldn't be a good idea for you, would it Gordon?"

The boy froze all movement, and the surrounding crowd began to whisper earnestly to one another. Sam peered around Gordon's side and spotted another boy walking casually towards them, his hands shoved into his pockets. He was shorter than both Sam and Gordon, but the latter seemed to have had all the fight knocked out of him by a simple question from the stranger.

Without a word or a glance back, Gordon took off down the corridor, forcefully shoving his way through the gathering students. Disappointed there hadn't been a fight to watch after all, the other students thinned and dispersed altogether. The other boy smirked as if this were completely ordinary and continued his leisurely stroll down to where Sam and Castiel stood. Castiel was staring in the direction Gordon had stormed off in, but Sam's eyes were fixed on the boy. Although shorter than he was, the boy had an air around him that refused to be ignored. His grin was lopsided and fully of cockiness, and his amber eyes were the brightest Sam had ever seen. Eventually, he came to a halt in the space Gordon had been previously standing in, watching Sam with an amused glint in his eye.

Before Sam could say a word, the boy smiled and held out his hand. "Name's Gabriel. Thanks for helping Castiel out."

"Uh.. It was nothing." Sam replied, taking Gabriel's hand. The moment his skin brushed with Gabriel's, he felt unnatural warmth spreading through his entire body. Shocked, he quickly dropped his hand. Gabriel's eyes widened a fraction at this, and he slowly returned his hand to his jeans pocket. Castiel watched this motion through slightly narrowed eyes. His thoughts were interrupted however, by the yell that followed shortly afterwards.

"Stop bugging my brother, midget!"

Dean's voice reached Sam's ears and a moment later, he had appeared from behind Sam and Castiel. He stood there, arms folded tightly over his chest, glaring down at Gabriel, who rolled his eyes.

"Okay, first off, midget? _Really, _Deano? That's the _best_ you could come up with?" Dean seethed beside Sam, who could practically _feel_ his brother's rage. "And second, I'm not bugging him, I'm thanking him for helping out my little brother."

"Huh?"

Dean finally caught sight of Castiel and at once, all evidence of anger in his face drained away. He blinked once, twice, three times and still didn't look away from the boy standing before him. Castiel was staring straight back at him, no shame or intent on hiding it whatsoever. Sam, feeling slightly awkward, shied away from Dean's side and backed away slightly, until he found himself standing directly next to Gabriel, who had his arms folded over his chest and an amused smile on his face. The two of them watched as their brothers continued to gaze at one another as if in a trance. Then, he and Gabriel caught one another's eye and smirked.

"Geez, now who's bugging whose brother?" Gabriel asked loudly. The remark made Sam burst out laughing before he could stop himself.

That knocked them out of their stupor. Dean blushed cherry red, gave Gabriel the finger and stormed off down the corridor. Sam shot Gabriel an apologetic look and, still grinning at what had just transpired before them, hurried after Dean. Both Gabriel and Castiel watched them go, both staring at one Winchester brother in particular. Gabriel's eyes were fixed on the taller, with his dark, floppy hair and lean build. His eyes swept Sam up and down several times before he vanished around the corner, and felt an involuntary smile creep onto his face.

"Are you planning on pursuing Sam?" Castiel asked, still watching the point in the corridor Dean had vanished from view at.

That was another reason Gabriel and his brothers didn't get on so well; he had come out as openly bisexual two years ago. Both Michael and Raphael refused to acknowledge his existence and Lucifer used any excuse going to have his brother attacked, not that it bothered Gabriel all that much. It wasn't like he wasn't capable of holding his own against them, or any of Lucifer's 'friends'. But when they discovered nothing they could do was effecting him, their attentions moved to Castiel, knowing he was one of Gabriel's weaknesses. He supposed that was why he was always so watchful and protective of Castiel; he had been the only member of their family to stick with Gabriel, believing love was love, regardless of gender.

"I suppose I'm going to have to. He's different from other humans I've met before now. And that makes him interesting." Gabriel replied with a shrug. "And what about you, hm?"

Castiel finally turned his attention away from the corridor, and fixed his brother with his trademark head tilt. He didn't need to say anything; his expression spoke for him.

"I know that look you were giving Dean, Castiel." Gabriel said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Never thought you'd be the type to go for older guys though, I must say. That's more my thing."

"I am inclined to believe after this encounter that 'your thing' is people who are two years your junior and tower over you." Castiel replied without missing a beat, completely deadpan.

"Touché, Kiddo," Gabriel laughed, "Touché.."

"You are right, though. Dean is.. Interesting." Castiel mused, he corners of his mouth twitching in a small smile.

Gabriel clocked this look from the corner of his eye and internally sighed. He recognised the expression on his younger brother's face all too well. Castiel barely fraternised with anybody outside of their immediate family and as such, didn't have many people skills. He was utterly clueless in any social situation, and had zero experience when it came to relationships. A great number of girls and boys alike had fallen prey to his eyes and lost appearance, but Castiel had never shown any interest. Before the arrival of the Winchesters, that was. And Dean didn't strike Gabriel as the type to take a relationship slowly.

Subconsciously, Gabriel's eyes turned to steel and he found himself glaring at the spot Dean had just been in for a fraction of a second. If Dean was what Castiel truly wanted, Gabriel would do nothing to sabotage them. Hell, he'd welcome it with open arms, even if that meant accepting someone like Dean. But if Castiel ended up hurt or alone because of him..

Big brothers weren't the best people to cross at any time.

But this mistake would be even more costly if the protective brother in question just happened to be an archangel.


	3. How To Save A Life

_Lay down a list of what is wrong_

_The things you've told him all along_

_And pray to God, he hears you_

_And pray to God, he hears you_

_Where did I wrong?_

_I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life_

_As he begins to raise his voice_

_You lower yours and grant him one last choice_

"You were staring at Castiel."

"Shut up, Sam."

"You were totally staring at him."

"Sam, I said -"

"You weren't even trying to hide it. You were practically gaping at him."

"Sam, I mean it -"

"Talk about giving subtlety the finger and going straight for the flashing neon sign in the face."

"Sam, shut _up_!" Dean hissed furiously, the blush in his cheeks growing slowly redder with every passing second.

He was humiliated enough that he'd openly stared at the Castiel boy yesterday and even more so when he'd been unable to get those brilliantly gleaming blue eyes out of his mind for the rest of that evening. Not even Sam and John coldly ignoring one another was enough to disrupt him from his musings about Castiel. He certainly didn't need Sam's constant reminders as they walked towards the school, the rumbling sound of the Impala's engine fading away into the distance as their father drove off. Dean didn't know what had come over him. He'd never been so mentally stuck on someone before, and as it was another boy, it was even more confusing for him.

"Hey -"

"Sammy, I mean it, one more word and I swear to God.." Dean snarled, patience snapping, hands curling into tightly balled fists.

Sam took a hasty step backwards and grinned. "I was just going to point out that Castiel's over there." And he nodded to some point over his older brother's shoulder.

Before he could stop himself, Dean had spun on his heel to stare at the double doors that were the entrance to the building. Sure enough, stood next to Gabriel, was Castiel. He was easily distinguishable by his vivid hair, and even from the distance they stood at, Dean could see the blue sparkles that were his eyes. He was wearing what looked like the same clothes he had been yesterday, right down to the trench coat which was fluttering in the breeze. Dean felt his heartbeat pick up pace in a way he was completely unused to. Not even the adrenaline surge he picked up whilst on a hunt with his father made his heart pound the way just _looking_ at Castiel did.

Beside his brother, Sam rolled his eyes and couldn't help the grin from inking its way onto his face. Just like in the corridor yesterday, Dean was blatantly staring at Castiel, his green eyes practically glued to the boy. Still smirking, Sam's gaze slid from Dean to the brothers standing in front of the school, only his attention turned to the older of the two. Gabriel was leant against the wall of the school building, his hands hidden deep in the pockets of his jeans, his dark green jacket zipped up to his chin. He was grinning in the same cocky way he had been yesterday.

As Sam watched, a group of teenagers made their way up the steps towards the school, chattering amongst themselves. As they passed by Gabriel and Castiel, a couple of them nodded towards the elder; a greeting he returned. The rest moved on, but one girl hung back a little, sidling up to Gabriel. She had dark skin and long deep brown hair that hung slightly curly down to her shoulder blades. She wore a red vest-like top, along with black trousers, the hems of which skimmed the floor. She was talking to Gabriel, completely ignoring Castiel's presence, and he wasn't making any moves to get away from her. For reasons he couldn't explain, Sam felt a bubble of rage build up in the pit of his stomach, turning his eyes to cold green steel the longer he watched the scene.

His sudden change in behaviour had not gone unnoticed by Dean. The elder Winchester was currently running through a series of taunts and jibes in his mind that he could shoot at Sam, hell-bent on getting his revenge for all the comments he had been forced to endure that morning.

"Well, isn't this a surprise, darling? The big, bad Winchester pining after a young, innocent boy.."

Even Dean, who prided himself on being immune to being surprised or caught off guard physically left the floor when the deep voice spoke from right behind him and Sam. Both of them whirled around to find themselves face to face with a grinning Crowley. He was wearing an identical suit to the one he had been yesterday, and his smirk was just the same, too. While Sam observed this stranger with a mixture of apprehension and irritation, Dean slapped one hand to his forehead and the other to his chest.

"Don't _do_ that!" He snarled under his breath. "And I told you yesterday! Stop calling me that!"

Crowley's eyebrows rose. "I'm insulted, love! You weren't telling me to stop yesterday!" He placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt, but the image was destroyed when he winked.

Dean opened and closed his mouth a few times, doing a perfect imitation of a mentally challenged goldfish. Beside him, Sam was staring dumbly from his elder brother to Crowley, who was rocking back and forth on his heels, hands in the pockets of his blazer, smirking from ear to ear. Dean suddenly caught sight of the bemused expression on Sam's face and a horrified expression exploded onto his own.

"Shut it, you! Sammy, it's not-! I would never-! DUDE, WHAT THE HELL?" The final part of Dean's gabbled sentence was screamed at the top of his lungs as he launched himself away from Crowley, who had just curled his arm around to slap the elder Winchester's backside.

"Now, now, no need to get embarrassed. We all have our little.. _Kinks_.." He replied with another wink, before he walked away, laughing. Dean and Sam watched him go; gaping after his retreating back, Dean's cheeks the same shade as strawberries.

Before long, Sam broke the tense, awkward silence. "Who-?"

"He's in my class.." Dean mumbled. He didn't seem to want to comment any further on the matter and as Sam could see the faintest vein throbbing in his brother's neck, he wisely decided not to pursue it.

As they continued to watch, Crowley reached Castiel and Gabriel. The shorter, blue eyed boy gave the new arrival the smallest of nods, and Dean for reasons he couldn't explain, felt a whole new wave of irritation hit him. Crowley replied with a small wave, before he ever so subtly pushed the girl out of the way and fell into conversation with Gabriel as if she had never been there. She gave him a scathing look, and he turned to face her. He must have said something to her, because a moment later, her face turned wild with fury, before she stormed off into the school. Sam was certain it was his imagination, but he could have sworn he saw the faintest look of relief pass through Gabriel's expression.

Dean suddenly tensed beside him, and Sam shot him a worried glance, before turning back to the trio they had just been watching. Crowley was now pointing in their direction, and both of the brothers were staring straight at them. As they watched, frozen in their current positions, Crowley mimed a spanking gesture, and both he and Gabriel burst out laughing. Dean's face, which had only just begun to return to normal, became bright scarlet once again. He was on the verge of turning around and promptly storming out of the school grounds when he caught sight of Castiel. The boy was staring directly at Dean, not a hint of smile on his lips while his brother continued to grip at the stone behind him, doubled up with laughter. And now that Dean had caught his startlingly blue gaze, he was finding it next to impossible to look away, even for a second.

Sam couldn't resist just one more jibe, despite the muscle still periodically twitching in Dean's jaw.

"Dean, even from a distance, it's obvious you're staring at him.."

And really, he shouldn't have been surprised when Dean promptly slapped the back of his head.

* * *

><p>When Dean got into his classroom, his bad temper didn't improve when he saw the only spare seat was the one next to Crowley. And just like before, Gabriel was sitting in front of him, this time with a boy Sam had yesterday identified as Chuck. Both Crowley and Gabriel turned towards him as he entered, and exchanged a glance complete with identical, evil grins. Dean's scowl turned even stormier when Crowley leant back and patted the spare seat beside him.<p>

He did one last desperate sweep of the classroom but saw no other alternative. With a storm cloud practically hovering above his head, Dean swept across the room and dropped into the seat beside Crowley. Almost immediately after he had taken his seat, Gabriel swivelled around in his own. Dean's gaze locked on the sheets of paper on the desk in front of him, determined not to let either of them try his patience any more than they already had.

"Real mature, Deano." Gabriel laughed. "Just ignore us nasty bullies, huh?"

"Leave me alone." Dean managed to grind out from between his clenched teeth.

He could practically hear Gabriel roll his eyes. "I'd be more than happy to, believe me, but unfortunately I've got a bone to pick with you. I mean, I'd much rather be talking to Sammy. You're nothing special compared with him.. Hard to believe that you two are related.."

Dean's mouth curled into an even deeper scowl and he fixed Gabriel with his best, bone-chilling glare. "_What_?"

"I'm glad that caught your attention," He smirked, before his face turned deadly serious in the blink of an eye. "And speaking of how interesting we're finding younger brothers, what was with the eye fucking with mine yesterday?"

Dean was so shocked by the abrupt change of topic and the seriousness of Gabriel's expression and tone that he momentarily drew a blank, unable to come up with anything to respond with. There was a look raging in Gabriel's eyes beyond anger, beyond fury. It was indescribable. All Dean knew was that as he sat there, pinned to his seat with those cold, unmerciful amber eyes, he had never felt more overwhelmed and in over his head. He could _feel_ a bizarre power pouring from the boy that sat before him, and it was deeply unsettling.

And then Gabriel blinked and the illusion was destroyed. Dean let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding, and felt his hands unclench in his lap. He had no memory of curling them into fists in the first place. He suddenly became aware of Crowley's grin doubling in size from the corner of his eye, and that even Chuck had turned slightly in his seat to peer over his shoulder at the scene behind him. Dean felt humility creeping up on him again and instinctively leapt to the defensive.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Winchester." Although the look had gone from his eyes, it remained stronger than ever in his voice. "You know exactly what I mean. That and you were still staring at Castiel this morning."

"I wasn't staring at him." Dean's voice came out in a low growl, the frustration of having the blue eyed boy fill his mind all evening, Sam's early morning taunts and now Gabriel's threatening manner finally tipping him over the edge into a rage. "Yesterday, I was shocked I hadn't seen him, okay? Why would I be staring, or 'eye fucking', as you put it, at some _kid_?"

It was as if the central heating in the school had suddenly broken down. The temperature within the room plummeted as the steely glint returned to Gabriel's eye, and he fixed Dean with a glare that would shatter even the toughest of shields. Dean found himself instinctively backing as far as he could into his chair, gripping his bag in case he needed to dive for the handgun concealed within, keeping his eyes locked at all times on Gabriel's.

"Watch it, Kiddo." The boy snarled. "Wouldn't want to do something I'd come to regret."

Dean opened his mouth to ask just what Gabriel was referring to when the door opened and their teacher walked in. With one last seething glare, Gabriel turned around in his seat. Once the amber gaze was pulled away from Dean's, he felt as if an invisible pressure had been removed from his chest, and he was able to breathe freely again. He jumped slightly when Crowley suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.

"What?" He spat, still furious at the dark haired boy for what he had done that morning.

"Word of advice, Winchester. Don't go off biting more than you can chew. And that includes picking a fight with Gabriel."

"Bite me."

"Bet Castiel would _love_ to take you up on that one, Deano." Gabriel's voice drifted back to them, making Crowley grin.

Dean told Crowley just what he could do with his 'advice', shot the back of Gabriel's head a withering glare, before scooting as far away from the other boy as he humanely could. But he couldn't focus on their lesson, not that he would have done anyway. At that moment, his mind was once again full of Castiel's brilliant blue eyes, his short dark hair and the oversized trench coat that was much too big for his skinny build.

In the row in front, Gabriel wasn't listening to a word their teacher was saying either. He was too busy infiltrating Dean's mind, smirking as the teenager's head became fuller and fuller with images of Castiel. He knew his protective brother instincts were likely to kick back in if Dean so much as considered thinking anything unsavoury about his brother, but so far, it was all perfectly innocent. Beside him, Chuck was shaking his head.

"If he's going to get close to Castiel, he should know."

"Know what?" Gabriel asked, shocked by the interruption of his mind game. Chuck barely spoke to anybody except Becky Rosen and even then that was more one-sided; tilted in the favour of the chatty girl.

"What you guys are. They're going to find out sooner or later."

Gabriel's eyebrows rose. "Is that a promise, prophet?"

Chuck turned to face him, his expression deadly serious. "Trust me Gabriel; this is going to end bloody for everyone, unless something's done about it soon."

* * *

><p>When Sam first entered his classroom and the students were told to continue with their group projects, terror instantly gripped him. He instinctively turned to Becky, who was obviously trying to catch his attention without being too plain about it. And she was failing miserably. He was petrified that if he approached the teacher, she would place him with Becky, and that was unthinkable. Luckily though, Castiel caught his eye and instructed Sam to follow him to a computer at the back of the room, away from the rest of the class.<p>

"Are you sure it's okay for me to join you?" Sam asked tentatively, taking the spare seat next to Castiel.

"Of course, Sam." The boy replied, voice as gravelly as ever. "I am usually alone. It is rather nice not to be, for once."

He reached forwards and pressed the button to boot the machine up, and then began to dig through his bag, searching for something. Sam sat awkwardly next to him, tapping his fingers against the sides of his plastic chair, waiting to be told what he had to do. Castiel pulled out a sheaf of papers from his bag and placed it gently on the floor, before spreading the documents out on the desk before them. That done, he sat back in his chair and watched the computer screen blip into life, waiting patiently as it loaded.

Sam decided to break the rather awkward silence with the first thing that popped into his head.

"Your older brother's pretty cool." The words fell from his lips in a rush, as if he had been dying to say them for a long time.

Castiel turned to face him. "As is yours."

"What was his name?" Sam asked, pretending to stall, acting as if the name had not become engraved within his mind along with his voice and the warmth of his touch. "Gabriel, wasn't it?"

Castiel nodded. "Yes."

When the other boy made no efforts to continue the conversation, Sam decided to plough on, undaunted. "So.. Is Gabriel your only brother?"

"No. I have three older brothers besides Gabriel. Raphael, Michael and Lucifer."

Sam's eyebrows rose a little. "What's with all the angelic names?"

For the first time since meeting him, Castiel looked a little uncomfortable for a fraction of a second. Then Sam blinked and the moment had passed, Castiel's facial features turning back to their normal stoic way. "Our Father is a deeply religious man."

Sam, who had expected the conversation to whittle out as quickly as it had begun like the last time, was shocked when Castiel spoke again.

"And you?"

"Huh? Oh, right. No, Dean's my only brother. And sometimes, more of a parent."

Castiel's head tipped to the side. "I do not understand."

"Our father moves us around a lot. We live in a motel for weeks at a time while he works his jobs, and then we move on to some new place with new people. And Dean's always the one that makes sure I'm okay, because Dad's out all the time." Sam's voice turned bitter. "I wish we could just stay in one place for _once_." He sighed, breathed in deeply and calmed his temper. "We've got a break soon after this, don't we?"

"Yes."

"Would you like to come and sit with me and Dean?" And then, trying to sound nonchalant, "Gabriel's welcome to come too." He tried to ignore the fluttering in his stomach at the thought of being close to the other boy again.

Castiel considered Sam's offer for a moment, before he gave the smallest of nods. "I would like that, Sam."

They passed the rest of the lesson by discussing their shared project; the Amazon rainforest. Sam delved straight into the subject, finding it fascinating; the legal battles ensuing into protecting the dense woodland even more so. Pretty soon, he and Castiel had filled more than five pages each of notes in their books, and amassed a teetering pile of papers, graphs and images. Although Castiel didn't say much, he was surprisingly good company. He just seemed to have an aura around him that made Sam feel much more at ease than he normally would; he almost felt _safe_ near the boy. And that was peculiar, because he knew perfectly well how to defend himself.

When the bell rang, signalling the end of the lessons and the beginning of break, Sam and Castiel gathered up all of their belongings and filed to the door with the rest of the students. Sam ducked behind the other boy as they passed Becky. She was sweeping the room with in a fashion similar to a hawk, presumably searching for Sam. Castiel stared at him, his confusion evident in his eyes, but he made no comment which Sam was thankful for. They managed to pass Becky without being spotted, and made their way through the school and into the grounds.

Yesterday, Dean had picked a quiet, secluded part of the school in which the two of them could sit without being disturbed. It was by the locked gates that were the only way in and out of the school, underneath a tree. It was this spot that Sam led Castiel to, flinging his bag to the floor and flopping down onto the grass at the base of the tree. Castiel stood there rather awkwardly for a moment, before he lowered himself slowly to the floor beside Sam. He sat slightly hunched over, his hands clasped in his lap, eyes locked on the doors to the school.

They had been there no more than five minutes when a trio of students passed directly by them, consisting of two girls and one boy. The girl on the right had very short blonde hair and a rather nasty, smug smile lacing her lips. She wore a strappy vest top with denim jeans and heeled boots that clicked on the concrete pathway she walked on. Cold, dark eyes stared straight ahead as she walked. The one on the left had curly dark hair down to the middle of her back, and eyes just as dark as her friend's. She wore a dark jacket with jeans and boots without a heel. The boy walking between them was easily recognisable, especially to Sam and Castiel, who both flinched. It was Gordon.

At first, it looked as if they'd walk past without spotting the two sitting by the tree. And then, the dark haired girl said something that made the other two glance in her direction, and inevitably, Gordon spotted them. At once, he froze, and Sam could see the fury clouding in his eyes. The girls had continued, but stopped when they discovered they had lost one of their party.

"Gordon, come on! Hurry up!" The blonde ordered, hands on her hips.

He ignored them, and instead started marching over to where Sam and Castiel sat. Castiel shrunk away but Sam leapt to his feet, positioning himself between Gordon and Castiel.

"I'm going to pay you back for humiliating me yesterday." He snarled, rolling up his sleeves.

"Back off." Sam said in his best warning voice, hands clenching at his sides.

"Fair enough kid, I'll start with you."

And without missing a beat, he swung. His fist connected sharply with Sam's cheek, and the momentum sent Sam crashing to the floor. Just at that moment, the school doors opened and Dean walked out, followed by Gabriel. They both froze to the spot when they saw Sam hit the floor. At once, Dean was overcome with uncontrollable fury and he took off across the grounds, fists at the ready, snarling how he was going to rip Gordon's lungs out. Gabriel was still right behind him, and for reasons he couldn't explain, he too was shaking with suppressed rage. His eyes were fixed on Gordon, who was reaching down to pick Sam up by the front of his shirt, presumably to throw more punches. Gabriel's mouth curled into a snarl as he silently vowed to turn the boy to mincemeat for so much as laying a harming finger on Sam Winchester.

But they needn't have bothered.

As Gordon's fingers got within grabbing distance of Sam's shirt, the younger Winchester grabbed Gordon's wrist with one hand and swung up with the other, catching him on the side of his jaw. Gordon staggered to the side after Sam released his wrist, getting to his feet. Before Gordon would recover from the punch, Sam was on him again, landing another fist in the boy's stomach. He crumpled, clutching his abdomen, gasping for air. Glaring down at him, Sam punched him one last time on the bridge of his nose and heard the definite snap of bone. Blood pouring from his nose, Gordon fell backwards and Sam retreated back to where Castiel sat, shaking his hands.

He glanced up in time to see the girls both staring at him, obviously impressed. Then, as one, they swept forwards and hauled Gordon to his feet. Supporting him under his arms, they began to turn to walk him away from the scene. Before they disappeared, Sam caught the eye of the dark haired girl. She grinned at him, and winked. Then, she turned and helped her friend carry Gordon off. A moment later and Dean was beside him, slapping him on the back and congratulating him on how easily he had taken Gordon down.

Gabriel, meanwhile, had stopped a short distance from the group. His eyes were fixed on the trio as they walked off, a feeling of unease settling in his stomach. Unlike Dean, he had been in the perfect place to see the wink Ruby had given Sam, and it sickened him to his core. He knew what kind of look that was. And as he stood there, he heard Chuck's words coming back to him with a resounding clang. He shot Sam a worried glance. Just at that moment, Castiel caught his brother's eye and silently enquired as to what was wrong, but Gabriel shook his head. For the first time in a long while, Castiel seemed content and relaxed sitting near Dean who had settled between him and Sam, and Gabriel didn't want to spoil that by being a drama queen. Not all of Chuck's famous predictions had come true, after all. This _was_ coming from the boy who had claimed to have seen Castiel vising a brothel one day. Gabriel mentally scoffed as he felt his initial fear melt away. Like _that_ would ever happen. And it was highly likely that this latest prediction would hold just as much water as that one.

With a soft sigh, he gave the retreating trio one last glance before he joined the group, sitting on Sam's other side. He noticed Dean's expression hardening at this, and Gabriel responded by sticking his tongue out.

"Now who's being immature?" The elder Winchester snapped.

Gabriel shrugged. "Never said I wasn't. That was some fight Sam, I'm impressed."

Sam stared. "You're kidding, right? You just had to talk to him yesterday and he was running off. _That's_ impressive."

Gabriel's grin doubled in size. "I suppose. I _am_ pretty damn awesome."

Dean rolled his eyes and decided to change the topic as quickly as he could. "Sammy, you heard anything from Jess today?"

Sam did a double take. "Huh?"

Dean's eyebrows rose in response. "Don't play dumb with me. I know you've got her number _somewhere_. And I _know_ you've been trying to contact her. So I'm asking, has she responded?"

Sam blinked as a feeling of ice cold settled in the pit of his stomach. The truth was, he hadn't even had a single thought of Jessica since yesterday morning. At once, feelings of guilt and shame hit him like a wave, and he visibly slumped. He had been too focused on the certain short, brown haired boy that was sitting not too far away from him at that very moment. He became aware that everyone else was staring at him, and forced a weak smile onto his face.

"I tried calling her yesterday, yeah, but she didn't pick up. Apart from that, no, I've not tried contacting her."

"Who is this Jessica you speak of?" Gabriel asked. He couldn't help but feel a small twinge of jealousy. The look in Sam's eyes told him all he needed to know about how the younger Winchester felt about the girl, and he didn't like the effect that knowledge was having on him.

"She's my ex-girlfriend," Sam explained, his voice painfully quiet. "I had to leave her when our dad made us move. Again." He added the last word bitterly.

"He does that a lot, huh?" Gabriel asked, watching Sam carefully, particularly his eyes. He could tell the boy had had plenty of experience in lying, but his eyes gave him away. Each and every time. To hear him, he sounded perfectly happy. But Gabriel could see the flecks of sadness in his eyes, and that ignited within Gabriel an urge to make it all better for the younger Winchester.

"We're only ever in one place for a few weeks." Dean replied with a shrug. Gabriel couldn't help but spot the way his green eyes flicked to Castiel and back again as he spoke, though.

"If it makes you feel any better, our own Father isn't winning any popularity contests either." Gabriel said, ignoring the warning glance Castiel shot him. "He's away a lot. I've seen him about three times in my whole life. And hey, Castiel has never even met the guy."

"_Seriously_?" Dean asked, now fully facing Castiel.

"Gabriel speaks the truth." He replied.

The brown haired boy placed a hand to his chest in mock insult. "Deano, don't you trust me?"

Dean fixed him with a glare practically dripping poison. "I'd sooner trust the devil."

As Sam snorted with laughter, the anxious look exchanged between Castiel and Gabriel thankfully went unnoticed. They passed the rest of the time by talking, and once or twice, Castiel and Sam had to step in to break up the bickering between Dean and Gabriel. Castiel was more than happy to sit back and allow the conversation to pass by without him getting too involved. He found himself watching Dean more than the others; focusing more whenever he opened his mouth to speak. And whenever Dean caught his eye, their gazes would lock until Gabriel mimed retching, which sent Dean into a fuming tirade. Eventually, the sound of the ringing bell echoed around the grounds, and the four boys got slowly to their feet, preparing for their next classes.

"Deano? Mind if I have a word?" Gabriel asked as they made their way towards the school, and to everyone's surprise, he sounded deadly serious.

After exchanging a look with Sam, Dean shrugged. "Sure. But if this is something stupid.."

"It's not, trust me."

"I told you, I'd sooner -"

"Dean." Gabriel's voice cut him short. "Please." He inclined his head away from the crowding students.

Perplexed and curious, Dean followed him. Sam and Castiel exchanged a look, before they came to a halt, waiting for their brothers. When Gabriel came to a stop, Dean stood before him, arms folded. "What is it?"

"I want you to keep an eye on Sam."

Straight away, Dean's temper prickled. "I always do." He snapped.

"Dean, this is _not_ the time for the angst found only in Winchesters!" Gabriel growled, and he sounded so angry that Dean was shocked into going along with it. But he wasn't about to admit Gabriel had surprised him, so he kept the indifferent look on his face and in his body posture.

"Humouring you for no reason, why?"

"Those three; Gordon, Ruby and Meg. The ones that came over to him at the start of break. They belong to this gang. And this isn't your run of the mill gang, Dean. These guys are dangerous. And I think Sam might have pissed them off."

"You saw for yourself how easily Sam took Gordon down. If he's a part of this gang, I don't see why they're much of a threat."

"Yeah Winchester, because Gordon's the strongest they've got." Gabriel snarled, voice dripping sarcasm. "Look, I _know_ how dangerous these guys can be."

"Why?"

"Because my eldest brother, Lucifer, is the leader."

"Then tell him to back the hell off Sam." Dean said shortly, failing to see the big problem.

"Don't assume my family works the same way yours does, Winchester." Gabriel snapped furiously.

And then without another word, Gabriel turned on his heel and stormed off towards the school, passing Sam and Castiel who were frozen in shock. Utterly bemused, Dean approached them and addressed Castiel.

"What was that about? Your brother on his period or something?"

Castiel's eyebrows knotted. "He is male, so it is physically impossible for him to -"

He was cut off by Dean holding up his hand. "Stop. Just.. Just stop.." He inhaled and lowered his hand. "What's his problem?"

Castiel's features relaxed back to their normal emotionless state. "Our family is very dysfunctional."

"How bad is this Lucifer guy?"

At once, Dean regretted asking the question. The spark in Castiel's eyes immediately went out, and the warmth vanished from them. Instead, they were replaced with terror. Utter, paralysing terror. Both Dean and Sam's eyes widened as they watched involuntary shivers run through Castiel's body, and he began to back away, shaking his head. And then, without a word or a backwards glance, he turned and fled into the school. Dean started after him, but Castiel had already vanished into the throng of students. Then, remembering Gabriel's warning, he turned back to study Sam. Mutely, he shook his head and shrugged, and Dean felt a sliver of worry imbed itself in his stomach.

If just asking the question had made Castiel react like that, Dean knew for a fact he didn't want his little brother getting anywhere _near_ the guy.

* * *

><p><strong>Special thanks to my little sister, chibivampirechan666, for the conversation idea between Dean and Crowley! I literally couldn't think of anything remotely useful, and her idea was too perfect to pass up on xD <strong>


	4. Shut Up

_It seems like every day I make mistakes_

_I just can't get it right_

_It's like I'm the one you love to hate_

_But not today_

_So shut up, shut up, shut up_

_Don't wanna hear it_

_Get out, get out, get out_

_Get out of my way_

When Sam reached his classroom, he was not surprised to see Castiel sitting in his usual spot at the back of the room. Just like the first time Sam had met him, he was staring out of the window, but this time his hands were clasped on the desktop. As Sam watched, two students passed by him, talking loudly, and he jumped out of his skin. Frowning sadly, Sam hurried over to him and slid into his chair. Just like he had a few moments beforehand, Castiel started at the sudden movement.

"Look, I'm sorry if what Dean said upset you." Sam said quietly, scratching the back of his head. "He's not every.." He groped for the right word that accurately described Dean's behaviour without painting too negative a light on him. "Observant, I guess is the word I'm looking for.. But that really makes him sound awful." Sam groaned, covering his face with his hands.

"Sam?" Castiel asked, and the younger Winchester didn't need to look up to know that he was tilting his head.

Sam removed his hands from his face and sighed. "I know he didn't mean to scare you, so I just wanted you to know he's sorry, that's all."

"Dean has nothing to apologise for, and nor do you." Castiel replied, sounding a little more relaxed.

Sam couldn't help but feel there was more bothering Castiel than the boy was letting on, but he didn't want to put any extra strains on their friendship, so he kept it to himself. He was also beginning to develop a fear for the Lucifer boy himself, and wanted to know exactly what he had done to earn himself such a fearsome reputation. But again, Castiel seemed in no mood to discuss it, and Gabriel had made his opinion on the matter more than plain. Maybe he could ask Becky? He wouldn't mind betting that she'd jump at any excuse to talk to him, even if that involved discussing someone like Lucifer.

Their task in the lesson was to continue with their project, and it drove all thoughts of Lucifer from Sam's mind. Castiel seemed to become less tense and more relaxed as the class progressed, sharing his own thoughts and ideas with Sam without the awkward feeling that had hovered over them the last few times they had communicated. As they reached the final few minutes of the session, Sam and Castiel were reaching the finishing point in their project. As they packed up their bags with their papers and notebooks, Sam frowned.

"There's no point in waiting until tomorrow when we can get this done tonight, is there?" He asked. Castiel merely blinked at him, so he ploughed on. "Would you like to come over? I mean, it's only a motel room, but we can finish this up there, and not have it hanging over our heads?"

"You have a point." Castiel replied, nodding. "But I believe it would be more productive if you were to come to my house. There is more space available to us, for one reason."

Sam grinned. "Fair enough. I'll tell Dean where I'm going and he can come pick me up when we're done." He couldn't help but notice the way the corners of Castiel's mouth twitched upwards at the mention of Dean, and felt his own grin growing.

* * *

><p>Sam and Castiel met up with Dean at lunch and informed him of their plan, to which he agreed with straight away. When Gabriel did not make a showing, Castiel calmly informed them that his older brother was no longer within the school. After exchanging a glance with Sam, Dean asked how Castiel could possibly know that. At first, the boy's gaze flew to the floor and he seemed suddenly nervous, but this passed within a moment or two. He then informed them that that was simply Gabriel's way; if he found himself in a temper at school, he would leave and go back home.<p>

Two hours later and Sam was following Castiel down the streets nearby the school. In less than twenty minutes, Castiel turned into a short cul-de-sac, and motioned towards the house sat alone at the very end. Sam felt his jaw drop a little when he laid eyes on it. The house was huge, not leaving room for another next to it where it sat at the end of the street. But it was not its size alone that had shocked Sam. It was how _clean_ and perfect it was. The outer wood of the other houses had faint smudges of dirt staining them, but Castiel's house was utterly spotless. The grass of the front garden was without a blade out of place, the glass on the windows without a speck of dirt, every tile on the roof utterly straight and in line.

The front door was a gleaming white, just like the walls of the house, the brass knocker gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. To the left of the door was a wide window of perfectly clear glass. In the centre of the rectangular window was a panel of stained glass. Several different colours reflected the beams of sunlight, casting rainbows into the room beyond. The image was one of the crucifixion. At first, Sam was a little alarmed. And then, he remembered what Castiel had said about his father being a deeply religious man. Another, smaller window was fixed to the wall on the right of the door, the room beyond half hidden by a blind. Sam could just about make out a table and several chairs. Three more windows were set into the face of the house on the first storey, each hidden away by curtains.

"Sam?"

It was only after Castiel called his name twice more that Sam realised he had stopped to gaze at the sheer beauty and magnificence of the house. Heartily embarrassed, he hurried forwards and fell into step beside Castiel as the boy produced a key from the pocket of his trench coat. He unlocked the door and it swung open without a single trace of a creak. Sam followed him inside and once again, felt his breath being drawn away from him.

He stood in a long hallway. The floor was made of wood so polished; he could see his reflection in it. The hallway stretched down the length of the house, ending in a closed door which also was glossy with cleanliness. Ahead of him, a staircase stretched up into the higher level of the house, also made of the brightly polished hazelnut-coloured wood. The banister that ran up alongside the stairs had been made to match the flooring too. The walls were a plain white colour, each utterly spotless. A short distance from the stairs was a doorway leading into what Sam could safely presume was indeed the dining room, while to the left another door which could only have been the room with the stained glass window. Sam felt dirty just standing in the house, every blemish on his clothing painfully obvious in the gleaming clean of the home he currently stood in.

Castiel was heading towards the stairs, and turned back. "Wait here, Sam. I will return in just a moment."

"Sure." Sam nodded, and Castiel made his way up the stairs.

As soon as the hem of the trench coat had vanished around the corner of the corridor at the top of the stairs, Sam's eyes flicked to the stained glass window room. Unable to resist his curiosity, he gave the top of the stairs another glance before he wandered slowly towards the door entrance. Careful not to touch the pristine walls, Sam leant around the corner of the wall and peered into the room beyond.

Just like the rest of the house, it was immaculate. The rainbow patterns from the window were splayed across the wooden floor and deep maroon rug that sat in front of a three seated leather sofa along the wall. A second sofa, spread from the corner of the first across the room, creating a square shape within. A square pouf had been placed in the gap between the arm rests of the two sofas, creating the illusion of one, L-shaped layout. A television set stood on top of a small cabinet which contained several electronic devices Sam couldn't identify through the doors of the cabinet. The only odd thing about the whole room was that there were no photographs of anybody on the walls or the ornate mantelpiece set into the wall. In fact, if he did not know for a fact that this house belonged to Castiel's family, the lack of pictures and cleanliness of the entire place would make Sam believe that nobody actually lived there.

"Yo, Sammy!"

Sam very nearly shrieked as he whirled about on his heel, startled by the sudden noise in the otherwise silent house. He glanced left and right, searching for the source of the voice, but a cackle of laughter made him look up instead. Leant against the banister halfway down the stairs, was Gabriel. He certainly looked a lot more cheerful than he had done the last time Sam had seen him. Heartbeat still rocketing from the shock, Sam raised a hand.

"Hey.." He allowed his hand to drop back to his side. "And don't call me that. Only Dean gets to call me that."

"But it suits you, Sammykins!"

Sam glowered. "And don't even _think_ of calling me _that_."

"It's Sammy or Sammykins. Those are your only options, Kiddo." Gabriel replied with his usual cocky grin. Sam refused to respond, his glare speaking for him. At this, Gabriel's smile only widened, and he reached into a pocket of his jacket, extracting a red lollipop.

"You're going to get fat if you eat a load of those." Sam said, his voice coming out slightly sulkier than he had intended.

"Been eating like this for years Sammy," Sam flinched at the nickname but chose not to comment, "And I'd say it's not had that much of an effect on me. Best to get a second opinion, though. What do you reckon?"

And then, without so much as a pause, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted it all the way up to his chin. Sam felt his jaw dropping for the second time in as many minutes as he stared, unable to help himself. He had never seen Gabriel exerting much effort at all in school; he had never seen him so much as jog to a class. He just didn't strike Sam as the type to accept the need for physical activity. And if he had indeed been on his sugary diet for years, Sam would have expected him to be at least a little flabby. But the truth of the matter was, there was no trace of fat on him. His stomach was pancake flat, the skin as smooth and pale just like the rest of him. His hip bones were clearly visible as his arms continued to hold his shirt aloft, jutting out through his skin so obviously, it was impossible for Sam to ignore them. At that moment, Sam found himself lost in staring at the dips near Gabriel's abdomen, devouring the sight hungrily with his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to run his hands over the smooth skin of the boy standing above him to see if it really was as soft as it looked. He wanted to find every sensitive spot on Gabriel's body and exploit every last one of them.

"Enjoying the view, Sammy?"

Gabriel's voice cut through Sam's mental rambling, leaving him speechless. Furious at himself and heartily embarrassed, he turned away from the other boy, his cheeks practically glowing with the force of his blush.

"You shocked me is all." He replied. "I wasn't expecting you to _do_ that."

"Sure, Kiddo. It's alright to admit you're attracted to me, you know. You wouldn't be the first." Gabriel teased.

Sam refused to take the bait.

"Don't flatter yourself." He snapped, remaining resolutely facing the wall. "And put your shirt down, would you?"

"And deprive you of more time to stare at me? Now that's just not nice."

"Shut _up_."

Gabriel grinned, dropping his shirt, which fell smoothly back into place. He certainly wouldn't mind seeing a similar view of Sam, now that he thought about it. As the thought entered his mind, he found himself leaning slightly further over the banister, all to get a better view at the boy standing in the landing. He could see slightly muscular arms through the sleeves of Sam's shirt, made even more obvious by the way he was folding his arms over his chest. Gabriel knew there was a lot more strength in Sam than was visible to the eye, and he found himself longing to explore every inch of the younger Winchester's body, memorising it all. But that was very dangerous territory, especially given what he was. Trying to dispel those thoughts from his mind, Gabriel leant back away from the banister.

"So, what brings you here, young Winchester?"

"I came here with Castiel. We're supposed to be working on our project." Sam replied, finally turning around again.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "You two are like two peas in a pod, you know that?"

"What's that meant to mean?"

"Nothing; nothing at all." Gabriel smirked. "I'll just go fetch him. He's probably in his room, fantasising about a certain teenaged boy.."

And with a wink, he vanished back up the stairs, leaving Sam blinking in the hallway below. Still grinning from ear to ear, Gabriel walked down the landing to Castiel's bedroom. Hoping that he had not chosen to seek refuge on the roof again, he knocked. Thankfully a moment later, the door swung open and Castiel peeked his head around.

"Yes, Gabriel?"

"A certain Winchester is waiting for you downstairs. Something about a project?"

"Yes, Sam and I are finishing ours now. I shall be with him very soon."

"Gotcha. I'll just go bug him until then."

And without waiting for a reply, Gabriel turned on his heel and walked back down the hallway. He heard the snap of Castiel's door closing behind him as he reached the stairs. Peering over the edge of the banister, he saw Sam rocking back and forth on his heels by the foot of the stairs, hands in the pockets of his jeans, eyes fixed on the floor. When he heard Gabriel's footsteps on the stairs, he glanced up. This time, he bounded down the stairs and landed gracefully next to Sam, finally placing the lollipop into his mouth.

"Want one?" He asked to Sam, reaching into his pocket and pulling out two lemons and another cherry.

"No, no thanks.. I don't like sweets."

Gabriel gasped and clapped a hand to his chest. "Sammy, I'm insulted!"

"Why are _you_ insulted..?"

"To insult my favourite food is to insult me, Sammy!"

"Don't be such a child.."

"..Okay, now you're just being mean.." Gabriel pouted.

"You're two years older than me!" Sam couldn't help but laugh, indicating to Gabriel's childish expression with exasperation. "You should try acting like it sometime."

"Pfft, where's the fun in _that_? Let your hair down for once Sammy and you never know. You might have fun."

"Are you insinuating I don't know how to have fun?"

"Insinuating? No. I'm flat out _telling_ you." Gabriel grinned.

Sam rolled his eyes but couldn't help the grin from sliding onto his face all the same. A moment later, Castiel appeared at the top of the stairs and he and Sam got straight to work on their project in the dining room. Sam barely allowed himself to move, still feeling like a piece of filth within the spotless house. Gabriel bothered them constantly, claiming he had nothing better to do, and that taunting Sam had become his new favourite hobby. Sam didn't know how he managed it, but at one point Gabriel stole his phone from his pocket and set to work changing his ringtone to something that Sam bet would have been horrifically embarrassing, had he not caught the boy at it at the last second.

After half an hour, they were finally done and Sam phoned Dean to come meet him, giving him directions to the house. Within ten minutes he was there, looking equally as gobsmacked at the house as Sam had.

"Your dad is never here, and yet you can live in a place like _this_?" Were the first words he spoke after Gabriel let him in.

"He pays for it, Deano.." Gabriel's tone made it clear this was obvious, and Dean flushed with humiliation.

"I know that." He snapped. "I was just saying."

"_Sure_ you did.." Gabriel spoke in his most patronising tone, grinning when the familiar spark of anger lit up Dean's eyes.

As their brothers launched into another of their petty little arguments, Sam and Castiel sat watching from the table, although neither were watching their respective brother. Sam's eyes were fixed on the way Gabriel's eyes could shine several different shades in the right light, and had already lost count of just how many different variances on amber he could see. It was dangerous territory and he knew it, but at that moment, he just didn't care. Staring at Gabriel just calmed him, and set him completely at ease. When his eyes locked with Gabriel's, he could _feel_ his worries and fears melting away. In Gabriel's eyes was safety. And Sam was beginning to grow fond of the warmth in the pit of his stomach every time he saw Gabriel smile.

Castiel, likewise, was finding watching Dean intriguing. He had no doubts whatsoever that even if he _did_ know what Gabriel truly was, he would stand his ground, dig his heels in and refuse to back down or be intimidated. And Castiel found that courage simply astounding. He could feel Dean's strength, and it warmed him, giving him confidence. For most of his life he had feared his elder brothers aside from Gabriel, and meeting a person so confident was affecting him greatly. Day by day he could feel his own courage grow. But there was always such a sad feel to Dean's soul, as if he were constantly holding something back. And Castiel wanted to discover it and heal him of the pain it caused. He wanted to see a true smile on Dean's face, and he wanted to be the cause of it.

* * *

><p>The next day, Sam was exhausted. For some reason, he had been unable to fall asleep the previous evening, and was certainly paying the price for it in the morning. Twice he nearly dropped off in class, and Castiel had to kick him under the table to wake him up. He was much snappier than usual, and actually shouted at Becky when she told him he was welcome to sit with her at break. When lunch came, he and Castiel walked into the canteen with everyone else, but rather than eat, Sam sat at their table and slumped forwards onto it, wanting to use the allotted forty minutes to catch up on his sleep. Castiel was only too happy to leave him to it, and reached into his bag to pull out a book to read until Dean and Gabriel arrived.<p>

"Winchester, we want you to come with us."

Both Sam and Castiel jumped, but for different reasons. Sam, because he had not even heard the approach of the speaker. Castiel because he knew exactly who the voice belonged to, and it sent a cold feeling of dread slipping down his spine. They both glanced up and Castiel's worst fears were confirmed. Meg and Ruby stood behind Sam, but they didn't look angry. In fact, they were smiling. Sam blinked, obviously confused, and looked around at Castiel. He shot them a glance, and saw the cold fury reflected in their eyes. That didn't stop him giving Sam the smallest of head shakes, though.

"Why?" Sam asked, turning around.

"Just because." Meg smiled. "So come on."

"I'm good, thanks."

"We're not _asking_ you." Ruby said, and before either Sam or Castiel could move, they launched forwards, gripped Sam's arms and physically hauled him out of the canteen.

Fear flooding through Castiel, he leapt up from his seat and fled from the canteen, pushing through the hordes of students. There was no way he could face those two by himself; he needed help. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself, searching for Dean. He felt his presence almost immediately, on the floor above. Without hesitating, Castiel turned and sprinted to the nearest flight of stairs. He launched himself up them two at a time and sped along the corridor, glancing into the rooms he passed, searching desperately for Dean.

Then suddenly, a door opened right in front of him, somebody walked out and Castiel ended up running straight into them. With a yell, the boy fell backwards and Castiel fell with him, landing on him. He looked up, ready to apologise, and found himself staring straight at Dean. Dean was staring mutely back, his mouth slightly open.

"Jeez Winchester, keep it PG."

Both of them twitched and Castiel leapt to his feet, backing away from Dean. The elder Winchester got up too, glaring at Crowley as he left the classroom, snickering. As soon as he was descending the stairs, Castiel approached Dean once again. At once, Dean knew something was wrong. Not only had Castiel been running flat out to get to him (He assumed), but there was a similar spark of fear deep within his blue orbs not unlike the one he had had when Dean had first questioned him about Lucifer.

"What's wrong, Castiel?" He asked gently.

"Sam has been led away by Meg and Ruby," He explained quickly, not even slightly out of breath. "The girls from yesterday, Dean." He clarified when Dean's expression remained blank.

It was if a switch had been flicked within Dean. Suddenly alert and ready for a fight, his hands curled into tightly clenched fists. His mouth curled into a ferocious snarl as he headed off down the corridor, Castiel at his heels, his eyes shining with fury. If this gang thought they were going to hurt his little brother, they had another thing coming. There was absolutely no way he'd let anything happen to Sam.

Just as Castiel was knocking into Dean, Ruby and Meg had led Sam around the back of the school buildings, and was feeling a growing ball of anxiety slowly tightening in his stomach. He had recognised the girls the moment they had appeared behind him, and even though he had tried to fight them off, he had been unable to. They were gripping his arms too tightly, rendering them useless. If he could only get one arm free, he'd be in a better position, but he couldn't even do that. And now he was going to get the beating of a lifetime. He could only hope that Castiel had gone to fetch Dean or Gabriel. At least that would improve his odds slightly.

They eventually came to a halt in the far corner of the grounds. Under the cover of several trees were two benches that had been pushed together. Several people sat together on these benches, talking amongst themselves, but when Ruby and Meg arrived, all conversation died as they turned to stare at Sam. Gordon was easily distinguishable, and he was glaring at Sam with more hatred in his eyes than Sam had ever seen before.

A boy sat on Gordon's left. He too had dark skin, and no hair on the top of his head. His eyes were dark and cruel as they remained fixed on Sam like he was a piece of meat. He, like Crowley, wore a dark suit. Behind him, a girl was sitting on the table itself. She had long curly blonde hair to her waist, with a headband on top of her head. Her eyes were steely and green. She wore a long white dress which had become bunched up by her feet. She looked no more than thirteen years old, if that. On a table all to himself, perched upon it like the blonde girl, was another boy. He had short blonde hair that stuck up at the top of his head, and brown eyes. He wore a jacket several shades lighter than Gabriel's with a plain black shirt and jeans. Feet covered by black boots rested on the other table's edge.

"Ruby, Meg, where are your manners? Let him go." The boy said, sliding from the table.

Sam's eyes widened as he spoke, and even more so when the girls immediately complied. They retreated back to the tables while the boy approached, and Sam felt his initial fear melting away. Surely if he had been brought there to be attacked, they wouldn't have let him go. Right..?

"Welcome to my little group of friends, Sam." The blonde boy said. "You already know Gordon," Sam could have sworn he heard amusement in the boy's voice. "This is Uriel," He indicated to the boy beside Gordon. "A distant cousin of mine. And this is Lilith." His hand moved to the girl, who smiled sweetly up at Sam. "You've met Ruby and Meg. I am Lucifer."

Sam stared at Lucifer, speechless. He had certainly been expecting someone that looked more.. Threatening. Out of all of them, the blonde before him appeared the safest. Gordon had attacked him without provocation, Ruby and Meg were more than happy to drag him from the canteen, Uriel was still staring at him as if he wanted nothing more than to tear him into pieces and Lilith was just creepy. She was a little girl for God's sake, what was she doing in a _gang_? Beside them, Lucifer looked relatively harmless.

"I'm impressed with your bravery and skills, Sam." Lucifer continued while Sam's brain continued to ramble on to itself, giving the smallest of inclines towards Gordon. "I would like you to join my circle of friends."

Sam's jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

Lucifer smiled. "Yes."

"But.. Why?"

"As I have said already, I am impressed with you. I believe you would be a valuable comrade."

"But.. Joining a gang? I don't know.."

To his surprise, Lucifer laughed. "A gang? Sam, who told you this was a _gang_?"

"Well, Gabriel -"

"Ah, say no more." For the first time, he sounded angry. "My.. _Brother_.." The word seemed to cause him pain, "Likes to spread lies about me. I suppose it makes his pitiful little existence more fulfilling. And I suppose Castiel has followed in Gabriel's footsteps and has told you the same? Tell me, Sam. Has anyone else warned you about me, other than my family?"

Sam opened his mouth, and then quickly closed it again. It was true. Only Gabriel and Castiel had seemed terrified at the thought of Sam getting close to Lucifer. Plenty of people had heard about Sam taking Gordon down, and no-one else was rushing to warn him about Lucifer's gang's wrath. Lucifer's smile said it all as Sam remained silent.

"You see? We are very much alike, you and I."

"How so?" Sam asked, his mouth feeling very dry.

"We both have brothers that try to hold us back, or control our actions. We both have fathers that care little for what we desire, seeing only what they want. It is time for you to break free of your imprisonments, Sam, and have a taste of freedom."

"I.. I'll think about it."

Lucifer smiled. "If you are interested, we meet at this diner tonight." He pressed a piece of paper into Sam's hand. "You may leave."

And Sam did, his head spinning. Ever since arriving at this new school, he had wanted a similar group of friends to the ones he had left behind. And now this opportunity had fallen into his lap. He was confused beyond all recognition about Lucifer. From what he had heard from Castiel and Gabriel and the loyalties of gangs, he had expected to be crawling away from them, as opposed to walking. He honestly thought Ruby and Meg were taking him to be beaten to death. But in reality, Lucifer was exactly the opposite of the mental image Castiel and Gabriel had created. Sam had found him surprisingly easy to talk to, and even felt himself relate to the boy a little.

As he turned the corner, he very nearly walked right into Dean, who looked ready to kill.

"Sam!" He cried out in surprise.

"Sam?" Castiel asked, eyes narrowed. Sam had a sinking feeling Castiel knew _exactly_ what had happened and what he was currently considering, but no idea of how the boy could possibly know.

"Yeah?" He asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but Dean swooped down on it in an instant. Dean had always had the uncanny ability to know when Sam was lying through his teeth.

"What happened?" He demanded to know.

"I.. Nothing. Nothing happened."

"Sam -"

"Seriously, Dean. Nothing happened."

"If you think for one second I believe that, you've got another thing coming. Tell me what happened or I'll go round there and ask the bastard myself!"

Sam heard Lucifer's words echoing in the back of his mind; '_We both have brothers that try to hold us back, or control our actions_'. This, coupled with his lack of sleep, was quickly pushing him to the brink of his temper.

"Nothing happened, Dean." He spoke through gritted teeth. "Just drop it."

"Not until you tell me."

"It's none of your damn business, Dean!" Sam found himself yelling, before he pushed past his brother and Castiel and stormed away.

For a moment, Dean remained rooted to the spot, torn between going after Sam and knocking the stuffing out of him, or finding Lucifer and tearing him a new one. In the end, he voted for the later, and turned in the direction Sam had come from. He would have rounded the corner and stormed right up to Lucifer and his gang, had Castiel not grabbed his arm at the last second.

"Let me go, Castiel!" He snarled, trying to tug his arm away.

"You will be unable to protect Sam if you get yourself injured now! You must stop!" And for once, Dean allowed himself to be pulled away.

Up in the school, the whole scene had been observed by Gabriel. He had run into Crowley a short distance from the library, who jokingly told him how he had walked into the corridor to find Castiel straddling Dean. The two had laughed about the whole thing whilst on their way down to lunch, when Gabriel had happened to glance out of the window to see Sam being led over to Lucifer. Fear gripping him, he had run to the window and pressed himself to the glass, watching as the two girls released Sam and Lucifer approached. Hands automatically curled into fists when he saw Lucifer hand Sam something, who then turned and walked away.

The look on Lucifer's face made him feel sick.

He looked downright ecstatic; he was practically beaming. Then, as if he knew Gabriel had been watching all along, he turned to the window and looked directly at his brother. The smile turned smug, before he turned away again. Gabriel glared at his retreating back, fear still raging through him.

"Why does it have to be _Sam_, Lucifer..?"

* * *

><p>By the time night fell, Dean and Sam still weren't talking to one another. Their father had been working on his latest hunt, so they were forced to walk back to the motel after school in stony silence. Halfway there, they passed a diner whose name matched that on Sam's paper. All through his last two lessons, Castiel had reverted back to staring out of the window and pretending Sam wasn't there, and Sam found himself rather grateful for it. Silence was better than trying to talk him out of going, and he really wanted to think about it.<p>

If it wasn't a gang, surely there was no problem in becoming friends with them? Lucifer had said it himself; they weren't a gang. And it wasn't like he or Dean would be staying much longer in the town anyway. They had a feeling their father was closing in on whatever it was he was hunting, and then they'd be back on the road, heading for the next town. So what did it matter if he hung around with Lucifer up until then? But the way Dean was reacting, it was as if Sam had agreed to go pillaging with them or something equally stupid.

Once again, Sam was reminded of Lucifer's words. He didn't want to end up like Dean, needing to follow every order issued to him. He didn't want to be controlled. He wanted to be his own person, make his own choices and not do something just because his father had told him that's the way it was. He didn't want to become a hunter. He didn't want to be pushed around by Dean. He was going to make his own choices for once in his life. He needed the exhilaration of freedom, to feel his every move wasn't being dictated for him.

He'd made his choice.

So, that evening, he waited until Dean went into the bathroom before he snuck out. Little did he know, Dean had been waiting for just that. As soon as he heard the motel door close, fury unlike any other he had felt before rose up inside him. He left the bathroom, slamming the door behind him and grabbed his handgun from his schoolbag. He tucked the weapon into the back of his jeans and dropped his jacket over the top, concealing it. And then, without a backward glance or worry that his father would return and find both of them missing, he too left the motel room.

Out in the street, he glanced left and right, and felt relief when he saw Sam's form vanishing into the gloom of the darkening night. Scowling deeply, Dean took off after him, keeping his distance just in case Sam turned and spotted him. He was lucky. Sam seemed to think he had been sneaky, not expecting Dean to have set his own trap, and clearly thought there was no chance Dean could find him.

For about ten minutes Dean trailed his brother down the streets until they reached the town once again. He ducked behind a house as Sam approached a diner, glanced all about him, before entering. Dean peered out from behind the building and felt his frown deepen, before he made up his mind. He was going in there to drag Sam out, by his hair if needs be.

"Hello, Dean."

Dean damn near had a heart attack as he whirled around, hands instinctively going for the concealed weapon. Castiel stood right behind him, head cocked to the side, slight frown on his face. Dean sighed, pressing a hand to his chest.

"You have an uncanny ability to sneak up on people, you know that?" He growled. "Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

"That would never be any intention of mine, Dean."

Dean rolled his eyes, and then went back to staring at the diner door. "What's with your brother anyway? Why's he snatching up Sammy?"

"Lucifer enjoys causing chaos. I suppose he sees this as a game. A way of passing time. But he appears to be rather interested in Sam."

That was all Dean needed to hear. Without hesitating another moment, he stormed around the side of the house he had taken shelter behind, and marched right up to the diner. Castiel hesitated, remaining where he stood, watching as the door swung shut behind Dean. Just as he took the first step towards the building, however, Dean walked back through the door, his hand clamped around Sam's arm, who was struggling.

"Let me _go_, Dean!" Sam was yelling.

"So you can go and join up with _them_? No fucking way!" Dean shouted back.

"You've got no right to tell me what I can and can't do, Dean!"

"I've got a right to tell you when you're being a moron!"

"Sam," Castiel began, approaching. "You must listen to Dean. Lucifer is -"

"Shut _up_! Shut your fucking mouth!" Sam now turned his fury on Castiel, who didn't even flinch. "I'm sick of everyone thinking they can tell me what to do!" Sam finally managed to wrench his arm out of Dean's grip. "I'm _not_ going to be the good little solider like you Dean! I'm _not_ just going to jump at Dad's orders anymore! If that's the life you want to lead then fine, but count me out! And if defying Dad means joining them, fine!"

And without another word, Sam turned and stormed off down the street, presumably heading back to the motel. Dean stared after him for a moment, before he turned and headed off in the opposite direction.

* * *

><p>Castiel watched in silence as Dean knocked back yet another shot glass full of amber liquid. He hissed as the fluid hit his throat, slamming the empty glass back onto the tabletop, his eyes slightly dazed and unfocused. He reached for the final glass on the tray before him, his fingers hitting a couple of the empty ones on their way there. Castiel felt an unnatural urge to slap the glass away from Dean's hand as he raised it to his lips, but did no such thing. He knew that this action would do nothing other than fuel Dean's temper and that was the last thing he desired.<p>

Keeping his eyes fixed on the table, Dean raised his hand, waving a waitress over. Castiel looked up as a blonde girl who had been leant against the bar spotted Dean and hurried over. When she reached the table, her eyes automatically fell on the tray of empty glasses and her eyebrows rose.

"Having a rough night?" She asked, picking up the tray.

"Could say that." Dean's voice was croaky and gruff after spending so long without speaking. "Another round."

"You got it." She smiled at him, and walked away.

"Dean." Castiel spoke the boy's name quietly, not wanting to irritate him further. He had refrained from speech up until that point, but hearing Dean's voice gave him a burst of confidence.

At first, he didn't think Dean was going to reply. And then, ever so slowly, his green eyes slid over to focus on Castiel. For a moment, neither spoke; they just continued to watch one another. The waitress returned with a fresh tray of the same alcohol Dean had been pushing back since arriving at the bar, but for the first time, he ignored the glasses, too focused on Castiel's blue eyed gaze. The waitress remained where she stood, her eyes fixed on Dean's muscular build, no doubt. After a few moments, the mild impatience Castiel was feeling at her behaviour turned into full-out anger and he finally turned away from Dean's eyes to glare at her.

"You have fulfilled your purpose. Please leave."

She glared icily back at him, and Castiel had to resist the huge temptation to smite her where she stood. She had no idea what he was, no idea how powerful he was. She had no concept of just who she was dealing with. But then again, nor did Dean. And Castiel really didn't think his will should be tested more than it had been already. After another moment or two, she huffed out an annoyed breath, before turning on her heel and leaving them quite alone once more.

When Castiel's eyes slid back to Dean's, he was shocked to discover a ghost of a smile playing on Dean's lips.

"Never knew you could be so forceful, Cas."

Castiel blinked. "What did you call me?"

"Cas. Shorter than Castiel."

"My name is not a particularly long one, Dean." Castiel replied, his confusion evident in his tone.

"Well I'm gonna call you Cas. S'my name for you."

Castiel digested this revelation with a slightly quickened heartbeat while Dean reached for the first of the new glasses. He threw this one back with another hiss deep in his throat, slamming the glass back down upon the tray.

"I'm a failure, aren't I, Cas?" He asked suddenly, slumping forwards in his seat, head bowed.

"No."

Dean neither lifted his head nor leant back into his chair. "Don't lie to me.." He muttered. "Not you. Don't _you_ fucking lie to me.."

"I find the concept of lying very difficult." Castiel admitted, wondering why Dean was putting so much emphasis on the word 'you'.

Dean shook his head. "I've failed Dad, I've failed Sam.."

"You have done neither, Dean."

"Cas," Dean began, his tone now angry. "Sam is now part of a fucking _gang_. How is that not because of me being a failure of a brother?"

"You are unable to manipulate the way Sam's mind works, Dean. It is all Sam's doing, not your own. He has chosen this path, but not because of you."

"You heard what he said!" Dean snapped, looking up so quickly Castiel started. "He said he's doing this because -"

"I heard Sam say that he was acting in order to defy your father. Not you. And nor did he mention that he blames you for anything he has done. Lucifer has always felt the need to rebel against our Father's plan. I believe that Sam was able to identify with that plight, as he too, always wishes to rebel against your father." Castiel couldn't remember the last time he had spoken so much in one sitting, but it seemed to be doing Dean the world of good, because his eyes were regaining their familiar spark, and he seemed to be hanging on every word. "Sam does not blame you Dean. Sam blames your father. As should you, as opposed to yourself. You are not at fault here. The fault lies with the absent father."

Dean's eyes fell from Castiel's, coming to rest on the table. He still couldn't shake the feeling that there had been a little part of Sam's tirade that had been aimed specifically at him. After all, maybe if he had the guts to stand up to their father once in a while instead of being the good little soldier like was always expected of him, Sam wouldn't have fallen prey to Lucifer's trap. If maybe Dean had showed Sam that he didn't have to always face their father alone, and that he, Dean, had his own mind and his own opinions, Sam wouldn't have been so quick to spiral into decline.

And yet, he couldn't help but feel better because of Castiel's words. A boy whom he barely knew, who already seemed to know all of his deepest fears and weaknesses, stayed by his side. His unwavering faith in Dean was staggering. They had only met a day or two ago, and yet Castiel had placed a great deal of belief in the elder Winchester. He could see strength where Dean saw weakness, light where he saw dark and faith where he saw nothing but loss.

And it was probably for this reason that Dean made a big mistake. That, coupled with the alcohol fuelling his system, clogging his good judgement, and making him make a decision before he had properly thought it through.

He leant across the table, and pressed his lips to Castiel's.

At first, it was the best sensation in the world. Dean had had a lot of kisses over the years, although none with another boy. He had expected it to feel strange and alien, but the fact was, it _didn't_. Castiel's lips were rough as opposed to the smooth, glossed lips of girls, but Dean found he much preferred the boy's. The contact sent his heartbeat rocketing, even more so when he discovered the last thing he wanted was to pull away. All of a sudden, the troubles that had been filling his mind vanished from it; Sam, his father, Lucifer, everything. All he could focus on was the feeling of Castiel's lips against his own.

As Dean felt himself relaxing into the kiss, Castiel was feeling exactly the opposite. His only experience of such contact came from watching soaps that Gabriel had shown him. And always was routine in those shows, kissing led to intimacy that was much more involved and far beyond Castiel's capabilities. All he knew of intercourse were brief glimpses from the soap operas, and Gabriel's blunt explanations. From what he could gather, they were fleeting affairs; more often than not the two involved in said encounter were never to reach that same level of intimacy again. They were, what Gabriel had called, one night stands. And as for kissing itself; it just looked messy and uninviting to Castiel, and he could not fathom why Dean was suddenly kissing him.

His own panic rising, he leant back sharply, breaking off the contact. His wide, blue eyes were found by Dean's green ones, and he blushed pink.

"Sorry.." Dean managed to choke out. "I just.. I.. Sorry.."

"Dean -"

"No, don't need to explain.." He replied, holding up his hand to stop Castiel. "Sorry.." He whispered the word under his breath.

"Dean, I -"

"Just forget it, Cas!" Dean snapped, before he leapt up from his seat and ran from the bar, leaving Castiel sitting there feeling slightly dazed.

* * *

><p>When Lucifer arrived back home that evening, he was feeling extremely smug. Sam Winchester had proven to be far easier to manipulate than he had first imagined; a process that had been helped by his brother's readiness to leap in with both feet. Dean's interference had only strengthened Sam's willingness to join his gang, and Lucifer was very grateful to Dean for it.<p>

"Why Sam, Lucifer?"

He came to a halt in the darkened hallway, sensing Gabriel's presence on the stairs rather than seeing him. He smiled coldly. "He is a fascinating specimen, even for a human."

"You talk as if humanity is beneath you." Gabriel snarled, his eyes a steely bronze, even in the darkness.

"As it is."

"Lucifer, you're my brother, and I love you, but you're a great big bag of dicks. _Nothing_ is beneath the likes of you. And if you _dare_ hurt Sam Winchester, I'll make sure you come to regret it."

"My, my, Gabriel. Falling in love with a human?"

Gabriel's eyes widened, and he felt his cheeks ignite. "In l-? What are you talking about?"

"How beautifully ironic.." Lucifer continued as if Gabriel had not spoken. "But unfortunately, I'm rather taken with this human myself."

Gabriel felt fury grip him and in the blink of an eye, he was standing before his brother, clutching his shirt in his hand. His anger seemed to make him grow, and his voice shook with rage as he snarled, "Don't you _dare_, Lucifer!"

Lucifer made no effort to reply. Instead, he shoved Gabriel off him and walked up the stairs, the darkness swallowing him up instantly. Gabriel growled with frustration, shoving his hands into the roots of his hair. He took a moment to calm himself, and then took a leaf out of Castiel's book and snapped himself onto the roof. He laid back on the cold tiles, staring up at the night sky, a scowl on his face. The mere idea of Lucifer stealing Sam away from him filled him with uncontrollable rage, and for the first time in his life, he felt the urge to harm his brother. Make him suffer. He usually avoided conflict with his brothers, his love for them all overpowering any desire to seek a fight with them. But now Sam Winchester had been added to the mix, and Gabriel realised with a horrible sinking feeling that Lucifer was right. At first, teasing Sam had been a game. But somewhere along the line, he had fallen hook, line and sinker for the boy. He groaned and covered his face with his hands.

A moment later, he heard the fluttering of wings.

"Gabriel?"

"Hey, Casti-" Gabriel froze halfway through speaking his brother's name, and removed his hands from his face. "What's wrong?"

Castiel's blue eyes slid away from Gabriel's; a sure sign. "N.. Nothing."

Gabriel frowned, obviously not impressed. "Castiel."

For a few moments, the two of them said nothing. And then, just before Gabriel was about to ask him again, Castiel spoke. His voice was so quiet, Gabriel could barely hear him.

"Dean.. Dean and I.. We kissed."

Gabriel sat frozen in shock for a moment, before he groaned and pitched backwards onto the tiles. "Dammit! Now I owe Crowley money! Why couldn't you have waited until tomorrow, huh?" But when Castiel made no comment, Gabriel sat back up, fixing his brother with a piercing gaze. "What is it?"

"I feel a strange bond between myself and Dean.. I do not wish to put that in jeopardy." Castiel admitted quietly, still not meeting his brother's eyes. "I.. I need your advice, Gabriel."

"Castiel, act on how you feel. Take that chance before it goes away, because I can't see Deano hanging around for too long before he moves on to someone else. Take it while you can." He sighed gently. "I know you're an angel, but that doesn't mean you have to live up to the stereotypical image of having a stick shoved up your backside. Nor does it mean you have to disengage your common sense."

As Castiel thought about what he had said, Gabriel tried to ignore how his own words portrayed him as the world's biggest hypocrite. There he was, telling Castiel to act on his feelings, when he had done no such thing for Sam. He could argue that that had been because he hadn't realised how he truly felt, but deep down, he had always known. Ever since the first time he clapped eyes on Sam in that corridor, he had known. He had done nothing about it. And now, Sam was slowly falling into Lucifer's clutches.

Castiel watched as his brother slowly slid back into his original position; lying flat on his back, eyes fixed on the sky. He could feel the waves of sadness and regret rolling off of Gabriel, and he wanted to do something to make it better. Gabriel had always been there for him, and now it was time for Castiel to return the favour.

Even if that meant standing up to Lucifer.


	5. The Reason

**Author's Note: Sorry about the delay with this chapter; my University was giving drowning its students in work a really good go.. As usual, I own nothing except the story idea spanning from the heartache and wishful thinking that comes with being a fangirl.. **

* * *

><p><em>I've found a reason for me<em>

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you_

The journey to the school the next morning was a silent one.

John had returned from an entire day researching at the local library, to find Dean missing and Sam in the motel room alone. The hunter had just opened the door to go out and find Dean when the teenager himself stumbled through into the room, obviously slightly drunk. John had shouted himself hoarse at Dean, asking him what the hell he thought he was doing, leaving Sam alone and waiting until the dead of night to come back. For a moment, Dean considered telling their father the _real_ reason he had gone out in the first place, but instead settled for a shrug. He was loyal to his brother through and through. Sam noticed this, and had the decency to hang his head, looking slightly ashamed. By the next morning, John was still furious at Dean.

Dean was angry too, but for completely different reasons. Sam still wasn't speaking to him, he had a killer hangover, and he'd had to endure yet another rant about how Sam was his top concern, and how he was an irresponsible moron for leaving Sam alone for God knows how long but for once, he barely listened. He was far too focused on how he had drunkenly kissed Castiel. Every time he thought about it, he wanted to smash his head against something hard. He just couldn't believe he'd kissed a _boy_ in a _public place_, no less. And now Castiel, the one person he felt he'd truly had some form of connection with since arriving at the damn school, was probably going to want nothing to do with him, too mortified at the fact Dean had kissed him. With a groan, Dean covered his face with his hands; how was he going to so much as _face_ Castiel after what he'd done last night..?

Sam was feeling a peculiar mix of emotion. On the one hand, he was still furious with Dean and Castiel for showing up and trying to control yet another one of his decisions. He wasn't stupid; if things started to look dodgy in the gang, he'd leave. It was as simple as that. He was irritated that Dean clearly didn't have the same faith in him that he had showed countless times in his elder brother. On another, he felt slightly guilty that Dean had taken such a verbal beating from their father, because of him, especially after Dean refused to tell John what he, Sam, had done. He was also curious as to why Dean had obviously been mentally beating himself up, but his anger was too great to break the silent treatment first. And finally, for a reason he couldn't fathom, he had been unable to think about how he had gone to meet Lucifer without remembering the way Gabriel had taken Dean away to talk in private after that fight. This was swiftly followed by a horrible surge of guilt, stabbing deep in the pit of his stomach, leaving him feeling sick.

When they got to school, both boys exited the car in stony silence and John drove off without making an effort to speak to either of his boys. Sam remained by Dean's side for the shortest time possible, before he was pulling ahead, head hanging, on course for the place Lucifer's gang congregated. Dean gave an irritated sigh and turned away, making a beeline straight for the school. He was adamant he was going to avoid Castiel at all costs today, even if that meant skipping out early. He just couldn't face such an awkward situation on top of everything else.

"Why so glum, Winchester?"

Dean growled under his breath, cursing the way the boy always seemed to be able to pop out of nowhere, and always when he _really_ didn't need it. "Crowley, don't even bother. I am _not_ in the mood."

Beside him, the dark haired boy sighed dramatically. "Something's up with everybody today, I swear. Both Winchesters surrounded in a cloud of angst, Gabriel cold and distant, Castiel -"

"What? What's wrong with Cas? Whatever he says, that's not what happened." Dean gabbled before he could stop himself.

Crowley came to an abrupt halt, an amused grin now slowly spreading over his face as his eyebrows rose. "What?" He laughed.

"Nothing. It's nothing, okay? Just forget you ever heard anything. It's nothing." Dean spat, his cheeks igniting.

"Methinks he doth protest too much.." Crowley said to himself, fixing Dean with an expression that plainly told the elder Winchester he wasn't fooled. Dean groaned and rubbed his temples, feeling his headache worsening.

"Just tell me what's wrong with him.."

"Very quiet, very deep in thought, even by his standards. Rather worrying, if you ask me." Crowley still sounded amused. "So, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you jumped him?"

Dean didn't even bother replying to that. Instead, he turned on his heel and marched away from Crowley, doing his best to ignore the boy's shouts at his back. There was no other way around it; he _had_ to see Castiel. He needed to at least _try_ to save their friendship and explain that what he had done had been a drunken mistake, nothing more, nothing less. He was worried the boy wouldn't even want to see him, but if he didn't try, he'd never know for sure. He wasn't about to lose the only friend he'd made in their long list of schools just because of a mistake he'd made. He pushed students out of his way as he entered the school, heading straight for Sam's classroom, grateful that his little brother would not be around to witness the conversation he was about to have.

Before he had managed to come up with something vaguely resembling an apology in his mind, he reached the open door. Taking a breath to steel himself, he peered around the frame. Castiel was sitting alone in a seat at the back of the room, staring absent-mindedly out of the window. For a moment, Dean stood frozen there, watching him. The sunlight streaming in from the window was falling on his face in just the right way so as to illuminate his pale skin. His dark hair looked soft and inviting, practically screaming for Dean to run his hands through it. The brilliant blue of his eyes sparkled in the sun, making them seem twice as vivid as they normally were. His lips were curled into their usual slight frown, and Dean felt his heartbeat rocket as he remembered just what it had felt like to kiss him.

Hesitantly, he cleared his throat. Castiel jumped at the sudden noise and turned. Whether it was wishful thinking on Dean's part or not, he could have sworn that when Castiel saw who it was, his posture relaxed a little and his eyes softened a fraction.

"Dean." Castiel spoke his name in his deep voice, and Dean could hear the relief in it.

"Hey, Cas.." He cleared his throat again and scratched the back of his head. "Listen, I just wanted to apologise.. For last night, I mean.. I was.. I was just drunk, and.."

The rest of his sentence died in his throat as Castiel got smoothly to his feet and approached Dean in the doorway. Dean stood his ground, watching as Castiel drew ever closer, finally coming to a halt slightly within the boundary of his personal space. The distance did nothing to slow his heart; if anything, it made it worse. He remained resolutely staring into Castiel's eyes though, searching for something akin to forgiveness deep within the blue orbs.

"There is no need to trouble yourself about it any further, Dean." Castiel said, his unblinking stare still fixed on Dean. "But I feel I owe you an explanation."

"What? No, 'course you don't! I'm the one that -"

"Dean, let me speak. You refused to listen last night and so I feel it is only fitting that you allow me to speak freely now."

A glint appeared in his blue eyes that warned Dean there was to be no arguing. Dean couldn't help but feel he had seen one similar to it somewhere before. And as he felt a strange aura emanating from Castiel, he remembered. Gabriel had fixed him a look much more ferocious, but it inspired the same feelings within Dean. That these boys harboured some sort of power, and he could practically feel it when they developed that look. And just like last time, it unsettled him. Unlike the time with Gabriel, he felt in no danger in Castiel's presence, held down by that stare. But that didn't stop his hunter senses from prickling all the same. His gut was telling him to back away from Castiel, but he just couldn't do that.

"It was not that I necessarily minded what you did, I am just unused to these interactions."

After a pause, Dean asked quietly, "You've never been kissed before?"

"No."

Maybe it was because he was grappling with a killer hangover. Maybe he was still slightly drunk from last night. Or maybe he was finally coming to terms with something new he had discovered about himself. Whatever the reason, he found the words tumbling from his mouth before he could help it.

"No way. You're way too cute to never have been kissed before."

Castiel's eyes widened a fraction at those words, and Dean was positive he saw the faintest of pink tinges appear in the boy's cheeks. But then he blinked and it had gone.

"Meg attempted to kiss me, once." He admitted. "I pushed her away."

"So.. Why didn't you do the same to me last night..?" Dean asked, feeling his heartbeat pick up once again.

Castiel hesitated, Gabriel's voice filling his mind. He took a deep breath to steady himself. His elder brother was right. He had to take the chance while it was available to him, and if that meant taking a risk, so be it.

"It is because I like you, Dean."

Dean, who hadn't been expecting such a blunt answer, stalled. His brain was providing no adequate responses to what Castiel had said, and it was rather difficult to focus when his stomach was performing flips. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no sound came out. Castiel's head tilted to the side slightly, making him look ever more adorable and doing nothing to help Dean's sudden inability to speak. All that expression did was make him want to close the distance between them completely and kiss the boy again.

"Dean?"

"Just.. Just gimme a minute, Cas.." Dean replied, holding up his hand. "I wasn't expecting you to say that, is all.."

In that moment, everything about Castiel seemed to change. His eyes, which before had been sparkling and happy, dulled substantially and moved away from Dean's to focus on the floor. His body posture seemed to slump slightly, making him look even smaller in the trench coat, and he took a step backwards into the classroom, hands gripping the folds of tan material tightly.

"I understand." He replied in a voice so quiet, Dean barely heard him over the bustle of the corridor.

Before he could stop himself, Dean launched himself forwards and grabbed Castiel's arm. The boy looked at him questioningly, but Dean had no words for what he was feeling; he'd never been able to explain his emotions and he doubted that would start any time soon. All he knew was that in the instant Castiel dropped his gaze, Dean felt cold and alone, and that was the last thing he wanted. His body had reacted before he could sum up the words, grabbing onto and holding Castiel's arm to prevent him from moving any further, but even when Castiel's questioning eyes glanced from Dean's hand to his face, the elder Winchester was unable to speak. He couldn't just say how the thought of Castiel walking away from him left him cold. There was no way he could explain that hearing the pain in the two words Castiel had spoken a moment ago turned his insides to ice. He had no way of putting into words just how much Castiel had come to mean to him in such a short amount of time; how the thought of continuing at the school for however long they stayed there without the raven haired boy beside him was _unthinkable_.

To his surprise, Castiel smiled. Not a twitch upwards in the corners of his mouth, but an actual _smile_. It lit up his face in a way not even the sun could, and the sparkle returned to his eyes brighter than before. He lifted his arm and unhooked Dean's hand from the sleeve of his trench coat, all the while keeping the eye contact. He slid his fingers through the gaps between Dean's, holding his hand tightly. After a pause, Dean's lips curled into a smile too, and his fingers curled over so that he was holding Castiel's hand back.

"I guess I like you too, Cas." Dean admitted, grinning.

Total chick-flick moment, but for once, he didn't care.

And then, the moment was destroyed.

The only warning Dean received was when Castiel's face changed. The smile slipped from his face and the spark vanished from his eyes, replaced by terror. Dean felt the boy shaking in his grip, and whirled about on his heel. Standing directly behind him was Sam and a blonde boy Dean could safely identify as Lucifer. Sam's gaze was fixed on the floor and he passed his brother and Castiel without giving them a glance. Lucifer's eyes were locked on Dean and Castiel's hands. Glaring, Dean gently pulled Castiel out of the classroom and stood before Lucifer in the corridor, placing Castiel behind him.

"I take it you're Lucifer?" Dean spat, his fury evident in his tone.

"Brighter than you look, Winchester." Lucifer smirked. He then peered around Dean's back at Castiel, who flinched. "I must say Castiel, I'm disappointed. I hoped you would not take the same route as Gabriel."

Dean dropped Castiel's hand and took a step closer to Lucifer, turning the boy's attention back on him. "Leave him out of this." He snarled.

By this time, everybody in the corridor had stopped to watch. Somebody, a new kid, was clearly squaring up to _Lucifer_, the most feared person in the entire _town_. Everybody had heard of him and his gang, and none dared to stand up to them. So to see one of the new kids doing so was a sight none of them had ever seen before. Crowley, who had followed Dean into the school with the plan of bugging the holy hell out of him, stood frozen to the spot. Unlike the other students who looked highly amused at Dean's foolishness, he was slightly concerned. Dean had no idea what Lucifer truly was. Hell, Lucifer could smite Dean on the spot if he wanted, and Dean had no idea. He had no intent on protecting Dean, but the look on Castiel's face was swaying him. He had been friends with Gabriel for a long time, and felt close to Castiel too because of that. And if helping Castiel meant saving Dean's backside, then so be it.

"Dean, please. Just go." Castiel whispered, hands circling around Dean's arm.

"Yes Dean, best to get out of here now. Wouldn't want you getting hurt, would we?" Lucifer smiled, his tone patronising.

"Dean, _please_." Castiel's grip tightened on Dean when he felt the boy's arm clenching.

"He's brainwashed my brother into joining his sick little gang, and you want me to just let him go?" Dean snarled, trying to shake Castiel off his arm. Before he could reply, Lucifer cut across him.

"Brainwashed? Hardly. Sam's told me so much about you and your family Dean. How you and your father are always ordering him around. How you never go against Daddy's orders. How you always stay back in arguments and let _him_ say the words that you never have the guts to say. You practically _drove_ him into my arms, Dean. And now you seem to be set on defiling my family."

"Dean, no!"

Dean finally wrenched his arm free of Castiel's grip and raised it, fury shining in his eyes, his hand curling into a fist as he did so. Lucifer stood his ground, smiling smugly, hands folded loosely over his chest. But Dean's fist never made contact. Crowley darted out from the crowd as Dean's arm reached its highest point and grabbed him, holding him back with apparent ease. Dean struggled, but Crowley held him still. Castiel's hands encased around his other arm and together, he and Crowley kept Dean where he was. Lucifer rolled his eyes, still smiling, before he turned on his heel and walked off.

The crowd thinned and vanished altogether, mumbling quietly to one another, once again disappointed that there had been no conflict. In the centre of the corridor, Dean was still struggling to free himself from Crowley and Castiel, but he could barely move an inch. Neither looked like they were applying much effort into holding him still, and that only fuelled his temper. Eventually he turned to Crowley, not wanting to force his rage onto Castiel. The boy allowed Dean to swivel, reluctantly releasing his grip on his arm now that Lucifer had gone.

"What the hell was that?" Dean snarled furiously. "Why'd you stop me?"

"Because Winchester, you know _nothing_ about him and what he's capable of! Picking a fight with him is way over your head!" Crowley snarled in reply, pushing Dean down the corridor in the opposite direction to the one Lucifer had taken.

Dean glared coldly at Crowley, before he turned on his heel and stormed off. Castiel turned to Crowley, fear evident in his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Well, more stupid than his usual standard of stupidity." Crowley said in a dark undertone, and he followed after Dean.

Castiel watched him go, before his eyes slid to the classroom. It was still relatively empty; the perfect time to talk to Sam. Without hesitating another moment, Castiel hurried into the room. Sam was sitting in his usual space, staring at the floor. He glanced up when Castiel entered but almost straight after he was back to looking at the floor. He looked highly embarrassed. Castiel approached slowly, sliding into the seat beside Sam without a word. He was unsure of how to begin the conversation, and was immensely surprised when Sam spoke first.

"I saw you holding Dean's hand.." Sam's underlying question went unsaid.

"I feel a strong, profound bond with your brother." Castiel admitted. "He is special to me."

Sam, not expecting an answer like that, cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh.. Good to know?"

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you consider me a friend?"

Sam twitched, and finally met Castiel's eyes. The boy was staring at Sam in the same intense way he watched Dean; unblinking and unwavering. It was odd, to be fixed with such a piercing stare. Just like the first time they had met, his gaze left Sam feeling as if Castiel were gazing into more than his eyes; as if he were seeing through every layer, into his very soul.

"Well yeah, 'course I do.."

"Then as your friend Sam, I must insist that you listen to me. Lucifer is not the kind of person you should be associating yourself with."

Sam rolled his eyes. "I don't wanna talk about this, Castiel."

"Sam -"

"Look, it's my life and my choice, okay?"

"Just like Dean, you have no idea what Lucifer is really like, Sam." Castiel said, his voice remaining calm. "Hasn't anyone who does warned you against him?"

"Only you and Gabriel, actually." Sam pointed out.

"And who else, besides us, have you conversed with about this matter?"

Sam opened his mouth to reply, but found the words catch in his throat. The truth was he _hadn't_ spoken to anyone else but Castiel and Gabriel about Lucifer. He had gotten the impression from the brothers that the subject of the gang leader was one nobody seemed to want to discuss.

"The truth is, Sam, that nobody but his family knows his true nature."

"But if he's as bad as you guys have made out to be," Sam began, desperate to find a reason to justify his recent behaviour, "Surely people would have been impressed I'd stood up to one of the members of his gang? No-one seems really bothered about it."

"Have you considered that that is because they were too afraid of Lucifer to be seen approaching you with congratulatory praises?"

Sam sighed heavily, rubbing his temples with his fingers, looking down at his feet. "I'd just had enough of Dean and Dad trying to rule every aspect of my life. Ever since I could walk, I've been told I'm going into the family business. Neither of them wonders for a moment if it's what I actually want to do. Joining Lucifer's gang was the first time I've ever told Dean 'No'. It was the escape I needed."

"Lucifer and his gang have attacked a great number of people in this town, Sam." Castiel said, his voice suddenly quiet. "Including Gabriel. You do not strike me as the type of person to willingly become involved in such an organisation."

At these words, Sam's head snapped back around to stare directly at Castiel. "_What_?"

"Two years ago, Gabriel announced he was attracted to both boys and girls. My two elder brothers, Raphael and Michael, refuse to acknowledge Gabriel's presence in our home any more. They treat him like an outsider; like he is not family. But Lucifer.." Castiel trailed off, and Sam saw an involuntary shiver pass through him. "Lucifer's gang would attack Gabriel, under their leader's orders. Gabriel is very talented at defending himself, but others were not so lucky. Anyone that Gabriel showed an interest in," Castiel's eyes bored into Sam's, "Became prime targets for Lucifer. There were three instances. All three ended up in hospital, in severe conditions. All three barely escaped with their lives. After that, Gabriel remained isolated and alone, his love too great to allow any more to come to harm because of him. This was what Lucifer wanted. If Gabriel refused to remain on the path of what Lucifer deemed to be righteous, his fate was to be alone, forever."

Sam sat in paralysed horror, the impact of what Castiel had just told him crushing him, weighing him down. The guilt he had been carrying all morning whenever he remembered Gabriel's talk with Dean suddenly caused his insides to turn to an icy mush. And then, as he sat there in the slowly filling classroom, one of the phrases he and Castiel had overheard from that day came rushing back to him; '_Look, I know how dangerous these guys can be._' His stomach churned horribly, and all colour drained from his face.

"And now, as Lucifer has seen my interactions with Dean, it is entirely possible that your brother will soon become a target, too." Castiel said, adding a new rush of fear in Sam.

"I.. I didn't know.." He said quietly, running a hand through his hair.

"Gabriel would not be pleased to learn I have told you this." Castiel admitted. "But I do not wish to see my brother and yours suffering any more. Nor do I wish to see my friend make a choice he will eventually come to regret."

Sam managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Castiel.." He glanced around the room. Their teacher had still not arrived, so he pushed his chair back and got to his feet. "I'm going to find Dean. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

Castiel didn't verbally reply, just gave a slight tilt of his head that Sam interpreted as a nod. Then, without pausing another moment, he turned and hurried from the classroom. Out in the corridor, he broke into a jog, wanting to catch Dean before he entered his classroom. The prospect of having to go inside to call Dean out was daunting to say the least. Not only was Sam fearful of Dean refusing to speak to him, but Dean's class contained Gabriel. And at that moment, Sam was unsure how he could face Gabriel, knowing what he now knew.

Sam pressed a hand to his stomach as a horrible lurch of guilt stabbed deep inside his gut. Frowning sadly, he turned onto a flight of stairs. He could only imagine what Gabriel was feeling towards him at that moment. He had warned Sam, told him that Lucifer was dangerous and that he knew just how precarious spending time with him could be. But Sam had ignored him, foolishly believing he knew the gang's leader better than his damn _brothers_. Sam scowled at his own idiocy; nobody knew Dean better than he did; to think of someone imaging they knew him better than Sam did would make them incredibly naïve.

But now Sam knew the truth. Lucifer had nearly killed three boys. There was nothing stopping him from doing it a fourth time, and Sam had been oblivious to that. Both Gabriel and Castiel had warned him without mentioning the true reasons their brother was so dangerous, and Sam should have listened in the first place. It was foolish of him to think even for a _second_ that Castiel or Gabriel would have lied about Lucifer.

As Sam reached the top of the stairs, he saw at the far end of the corridor the unmistakable short blonde hair that belonged to his older brother. He was trying to wrench his arm from the grip of a boy Sam recognised as Crowley, who seemed to be hissing at him as they walked. It looked as if Crowley was physically leading Dean down the hallway. He was relieved to see that Gabriel was not with them. Sam came to a halt, the feeling of unease growing. He had heard the commotion from the safety of his classroom, knowing exactly what Dean had tried to do. What he had learnt of Lucifer's true nature made him feel indebted to Crowley; if Dean had placed a harming finger on Lucifer, it was likely his brother, like those boys, would end up in the hospital. And if that had happened, Sam doubted he'd ever be able to forgive himself.

And if he didn't grow up and tell Dean he had made a mistake and that he was the one in the wrong, it was likely that as soon as Crowley was out of sight, Dean would sneak off to find Lucifer. And Sam couldn't risk that. Swallowing his fear, he set off at a jog down the corridor.

"Dean!"

Dean was so surprised to hear Sam's voice from behind him, he jumped and whirled around. Crowley, equally surprised, accidentally let go of Dean's arm as the boy turned, but made no movement to grab it again. As long as Sam was there, he doubted Dean would go off searching for Lucifer again. He backed off a little but hovered close by, just in case he was needed. Sam stood, head bowed, hands clasped tightly around the strap of his bag.

"So you're talking to me now?" Dean asked coldly, still unsure if he was fully ready to forgive the furious tirade he'd been forced to endure the night before. His arms were curled over his chest. "Couldn't bear to look at me this morning. This must be a big step for you."

Behind him, Crowley rolled his eyes and mouthed 'Pathetic'.

"I talked to Castiel." Sam was speaking quickly, as if he wanted to get out of there as soon as he could. "He showed me how much of an idiot I've been acting recently. He.. He told me some of the stuff Lucifer's done.. I'm sorry, Dean.."

Crowley's eyebrows rose. Castiel had always been terrified of Lucifer, and to Crowley's knowledge had never once raised his voice against his eldest brother. Yet he had heard those words as clear as day; Castiel had told Sam what Lucifer had done. Of course, Crowley knew. He had been involved with Lucifer's gang at the time. Not a member, but his own circle of friends had connections with them. He had been the one to tip Gabriel off about each attack, and was probably the only reason all three of them still drew breath.

"You spoke to Cas about it?" Dean asked, mildly surprised, eyebrows rising. Then suddenly, his eyes widened and his facial expression turned cagey; a sure trigger to Sam's instinct that his brother was hiding something. "Did.. Did you speak to him about anything else..?"

Sam's eyebrows rose. "Not really, why?"

Dean tried to shrug nonchalantly, but the slight pink tinge to his face gave him away. "No reason."

Sam's grin was all Dean needed to realise that this would not be the end of this particular conversation. As he turned away from his little brother, Dean groaned in annoyance. Crowley was fixing him with a grin that was the mirror image of Sam's. Without a word, he pushed past Crowley and into their classroom, slamming the door behind him. Sam caught Crowley's eye and they both smirked, before he followed Dean into the classroom. Feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Sam turned on his heel and hurried back the way he'd come.

* * *

><p>"Cas? Can I talk to you?"<p>

Castiel glanced over his shoulder, both he and Sam coming to a halt. Dean stood behind them, his eyes as ever fixed on Castiel's. And just like on every occasion before that one, Castiel immediately locked his gaze back on Dean's without blinking. Sam rolled his eyes and smirked, patting Castiel on the shoulder to remind him that there was actually somebody else there.

"I'll see you in a bit." He said and continued on his way down the corridor. As soon as he was gone, Castiel turned fully and approached Dean.

"What is it you'd like to discuss, Dean?"

The elder Winchester glanced into a room on his left and saw that it was empty. He opened the door and walked in, beckoning Castiel to follow him which he did without question. Dean pushed the door closed behind Castiel and turned to face him.

"Sam told me you spoke to him about Lucifer."

"Yes."

"Mind if I ask what you told him?"

"Of course not, Dean. I told him the truth. I informed him of a series of incidents that took place last year that Lucifer was directly responsible for." Castiel paused for a moment, his eyes sliding to the closed door, before gliding back to Dean again. "He organised attacks on three boys; ones that Gabriel had begun to show an interest in. They were all admitted to hospital in critical conditions, and each barely survived. Lucifer ordered them to be killed to teach his brother a lesson."

"Cas, don't take this the wrong way, but your family is seriously screwed up." He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "I mean, what the hell do you mean, he was trying to teach Gabriel a lesson?"

"This is what Gabriel and I have been trying to warn you and Sam about, Dean." Castiel said, and once again, his eyes slid to the door and back. "For feeling attraction to both males and females, Lucifer decided that the best course of action would be to ensure Gabriel spent the remainder of his life alone."

"So he tried to kill anyone that got close to Gabriel..?"

"Yes."

Dean paused for a moment, keeping his eyes locked on Castiel's. "Is that why Lucifer went after Sam?" He asked quietly.

"Yes and no. Initially, Sam was to be targeted because of his fight with Gordon. But then Ruby observed Gabriel's concern for Sam's safety, and reported it to Lucifer. Lucifer began to watch Gabriel and at first, decided that Sam would suffer the same fates as the boys before him."

"Which was why Gabriel told me to keep an eye on him?"

"Yes. Gabriel guessed Lucifer would attempt to attack Sam, and wanted to ensure that he remained safe."

"But he didn't attack Sam. He got him to join his little gang instead." Dean sighed. "But then you talked him out of it. Jeez Cas, I owe you big time."

The corners of Castiel's mouth twitched upwards in a small smile. "You owe me nothing, Dean."

As they stood there, neither made any movements towards the door, despite the fact they were both now running very late. Just like every other time the two of them met one another's gaze, neither wanted to be the first to look away. Usually, they had to rely on someone else to break the trance. But now that they were alone, there was no-one around to do just that.

That was, until the door to the classroom flew open, revealing Gabriel standing on the threshold. Dean jumped out of his skin and swore loudly, while Castiel did nothing more than glance over his shoulder. Gabriel looked less than impressed. He was scowling and his amber eyes were glinting dangerously. His arms were folded over his chest, foot tapping impatiently on the floor as he glared directly at Dean.

"And what are you doing to my brother, all alone, in this classroom?" Gabriel demanded to know, marching into the room and kicking the door shut again with his heel.

"I'm _talking_ to him! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Dean spat, hand pressed to his chest, feeling his heartbeat rocketing beneath his clothes.

"Don't tempt me, Winchester."

Gabriel's tone was serious, his eyes hard and steely. Just like the other day in their classroom, Dean felt a strange sensation of being in way over his head, his hunter senses urging him to find an escape route, _any_ escape route. He took a step backwards, pupils darting around for another way out of the room. And unless he wanted to take a nosedive out of a third storey window, the door directly behind Gabriel was the only way out. Not one to let his fear show however, Dean returned the glare with as much anger as he could muster.

"What's your problem?"

"Just been having a word with Crowley, who tells me you did something to my brother last night. Didn't believe it until I walk in on this. So I want an explanation. Now."

"What are you, his mother?" Dean growled. "Whatever Crowley's been telling you, it's a load of bull."

"So nothing happened between you and my brother last night?" Gabriel asked, docking an eyebrow.

A quiet sigh from between them thankfully prevented Dean from answering. Castiel took a few steps forward, deliberately placing himself between his brother and Dean. His facial expression was as impassive as ever, but when he spoke, Dean could tell from his tone that there was to be no arguing.

"Gabriel, I have already informed you of what happened last night between me and Dean. If I remember correctly, you then complained that it meant you owed Crowley money."

"Wait, what?" Dean snapped, his cheeks heating up.

Gabriel smirked, before he burst out laughing, all elements of his apparent fury vanishing in an instant. "Sorry Deano, couldn't resist! Your face was priceless!"

"Okay, first, what the hell was with the third degree act when you already knew? And second, you and Crowley had a bet on me?" He managed to choke out from behind gritted teeth.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a twist about it." Gabriel shrugged, still grinning. "Seriously though, my arrival here was not purely just to taunt you, Deano. It's always fun to break up a particularly intense session of eye-fucking between the two of you, after all." He ignored Dean's splutter and continued, "But my interruption had a genuine purpose. You," He suddenly pointed at Dean, "Are not to cause Castiel any pain at all. Because I know what you're like, Deano. Castiel may be living in peaceful oblivion, but I've got a feeling of how you've treated previous relationships. If you do the same here, I think it's my duty to ensure _very_ bad things happen to you. And believe you me Deano, they will."

Dean scowled. "Mind if I don't start cowering in fear here and now?"

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "I'm playing fair and giving you a warning here, Deano. Do yourself a favour and take heed of it. Or you'll discover just how much I can make you suffer."

"I'm practically shaking." Dean replied, completely deadpan.

"Gabriel." Castiel interrupted as he opened his mouth to reply to Dean. "Sam has decided to leave Lucifer's gang."

For the first time since meeting him, Dean saw Gabriel look genuinely shocked. His eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up into his fringe as he stared at Castiel. "Are you kidding me?"

Castiel's head tilted to the side. "Why would I be -?"

"Forget it. Just forget it." Gabriel interrupted quickly, waving his hand, before rocking back on his heels. "Must remember to use simple language around you, bro. Gotta admit though, that's one hell of a relief. Didn't think he'd have the strength to back out once he was in. Guess we got lucky."

"I doubt Lucifer's just gonna let him up and leave." Dean muttered, running a hand through his hair, spiking it up.

"Don't worry Deano. I won't let Lucifer touch Sammy. I promise." Gabriel said.

Dean didn't look too convinced, though. "Somehow I'm not reassured."

"Trust me on this one, Deano. Don't get involved with Lucifer. Leave that to me."

Castiel's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at his brother. There was the slightest tremor in Gabriel's voice as he spoke; tiny, but there. In fact, the only reason Castiel noticed it at all was because he was listening and watching Gabriel's reactions for it. The biggest giveaway was how Gabriel was flatly refusing to meet his brother's gaze, despite obviously being aware of Castiel's eyes on him.

Gabriel was afraid.

'_Nothing gets past you, bro. But I gotta grow up at some point, and stop hiding. And I guess that means protecting Sammy from Luci. I suppose I'd even go as far as to say this is Dad's will._'

As soon as Gabriel's mental message to Castiel was over, he turned on his heel and pulled the door open. "Remember my warning, Deano." Were the last words he spoke before leaving the room altogether.

"Bite me!"

"I'll leave that up to Cas, if that's alright by you." Gabriel's voice filtered to them from the corridor. Dean's cheeks flushed a gentle pink hue, and he grumbled a swear word under his breath.

Castiel blinked, and turned to Dean. "If that is what you would like Dean, I would be more than happy to -"

"Gabriel, I'm gonna _kill_ you.." Dean snarled, flushing an even darker colour as the sound of the boy's laughter reached their ears.


	6. Angel With A Shotgun

_I'm an angel with a shotgun_

_Fighting 'til the war's won_

_I don't care if Heaven won't take me back_

_I'll throw away my faith, babe_

_Just to keep you safe_

_Don't you know you're everything I have?_

_And I want to live, not just survive_

_And I'm gonna hide, hide, hide my wings tonight_

"You guys are going out tonight?" Sam asked, shutting his locker door.

"That's the plan. Don't worry, I'll be getting home before Dad. And I'll make sure to bring food with me so you can use the age-old excuse I'd gone to get takeout if I'm not there before him." Dean replied, shrugging.

"And if he's there when I get back from school?"

Dean paused, frowning, before he shrugged again. "Think of something, Sammy. You're smart."

"I don't understand. Is it not easier to tell him the truth?" Castiel asked, once again tilting his head into his trademark confused expression.

Dean pulled a face. "Trust me Cas, not a great idea."

Castiel looked ready to question them further, but decided against it at the last moment, falling back into silence. The three of them were standing in the corridor in front of a group of lockers while students filed past them, heading for the cafeteria and lunch. A couple of girls glanced over at Dean as they passed and giggled behind their hands. He shot them an ice cold glare and they hurried off.

"What was that about?" Sam asked, nodding towards the girls as they disappeared around the corner.

"Ask Gabriel." Dean growled, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Before they went back to the lessons they were spectacularly late for, Dean had asked Castiel if he felt like going out somewhere with him that evening. Castiel had agreed and then hurried off. Dean had managed to take no more than two steps before he was pounced on by Gabriel, whose endless taunting continued up until the end of their lessons. At that point, Dean had finally snapped and threw a book at Gabriel's head. The boy retaliated by waiting until Dean was in the crowded hallway before shouting at the top of his lungs, 'Better not defile my brother on your first date with him, Deano' and vanished before Dean could even turn around. In the few minutes it had taken him to get to Sam and his locker, the news that Dean Winchester was going out with Castiel had spread like wildfire and smirks followed him wherever he went.

"I dunno what you're so pissed about, Deano. It's not like I was lying." Gabriel's voice sounded from right behind Dean, who yelled a particularly foul swear word in a high pitched voice as he whirled around.

"Will you stop _doing_ that?" He snarled, collapsing against the lockers, pressing his hand to his chest.

"Doing what?" Gabriel asked, blinking his amber eyes, looking just as innocent and harmless as Castiel. The image was complete as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a lollipop, which he promptly placed into his mouth.

"Sneaking up on me! I don't know how you're doing it, but just _stop_ it already!"

"Dunno what you're talking about, Deano." Gabriel smirked, and turned to Castiel. "You sure you wanna be with a guy that's so over-the-top paranoid?" Sam sniggered behind his hand as Dean quietly seethed beside Gabriel.

"Dean is not being paranoid, Gabriel. You are deliberately trying to frighten him."

"Frighten me?" Dean spluttered. "I'm not scared of him, Cas!"

"Tell that to the way you screamed like a girl just then." Sam grinned.

"Stay out of this, Sam!" Dean growled.

"Can't say I blame ya, Deano. I know I'm very intimidating and all, it's only natural.."

"You're pocketsize!"

"Since when does size matter?"

"Bet it's not the first time you've had to use _that_ line." Dean shot back, and grinned triumphantly when Gabriel frowned at him.

"That was low, Deano.." He muttered.

"Sam, I'm confused. Why are they talking about size?" Castiel asked, turning to Sam who shook his head in disbelief, smile growing.

"My brother, too innocent minded for his own good." Gabriel sighed dramatically. "We're actually talking about the size of-"

"Gabriel, stop speaking!" Sam laughed, pressing his hands over his ears.

"Yeah Gabriel, shut your mouth!" Dean snapped.

"Awh, why so defensive, Deano? Scared you've got nothing to satisfy my brother?"

"Oh God, brain bleach.. Give me brain bleach, now.." Sam whimpered, sliding his hands over his eyes instead.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, GABRIEL!"

"WINCHESTER! KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!"

Dean whirled around on his heel while Sam and Gabriel doubled up laughing, pressing their hands over their mouths to keep the noise contained. Dean and Gabriel's teacher was poking her head around a classroom door, fixing him with a bone-chilling glare. He mumbled an apology and she nodded, closing the door with a snap. As Dean turned around again, the look on his face was beyond murderous. But that just made Sam and Gabriel collapse into a fresh wave of giggles.

"Stop. Laughing." Dean snarled through gritted teeth.

"Dean, I am still unsure as to what you are referring to, but I am sure whatever it is, you will be able to satisfy me." Castiel said, blinking his blue eyes that portrayed his confusion so aptly.

As Dean's face turned the colour of strawberries, Sam collapsed against the front of the lockers, clutching his stomach and roaring with laughter. Gabriel fell against him, securing one hand on Sam's shoulder in an attempt to keep himself upright as he wiped tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes with his other hand. Castiel stared at them, rather alarmed by their reaction.

"Th.. Thanks, Cas.." Dean mumbled under his breath, still blushing furiously.

"Y.. Yeah.. Thanks bro.." Gabriel gasped, massaging his stomach. "Ow.. It h.. hurts.." He giggled meekly, straightening up. Sam remained in his hunched over position against the lockers, still snickering silently.

Unbeknownst to them, standing at the end of the corridor, peering around the corner stood Ruby. Her gaze was fixed on Sam, bent double against the lockers, Gabriel's hand still locked onto his shoulder. Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a frown, before she turned and hurried off down the corridor. When Sam had failed to show up immediately for their meeting, she had been sent to fetch him. But she was going to return with news much juicier than Sam's whereabouts.

* * *

><p>Two hours later and the bell echoed around the entire school, signalling the end of the day and the start of the weekend. Dean, who was desperate to escape from the whispers and smirks that had followed him since the start of lunch, practically ran to Sam and Castiel's classroom the moment his teacher excused them. As soon as Castiel was through the door, Dean grabbed his wrist, waved goodbye to Sam and practically dragged Castiel from the school. Sam found the whole ordeal rather amusing, particularly when he heard his classmates whispering about the various rumours they had heard and how they actually seemed to be true.<p>

His good mood vanished the moment he left the building, though.

Leaving school reminded him of what he faced that evening. He had gotten a text message from Lucifer, informing him that they were to meet that night at the diner, and Sam promised Castiel as soon as he received it that he would use the opportunity to leave. At the time, it had seemed an age away. But now that school was over, the time he was supposed to be arriving at the diner seemed to be looming above him, consuming him in its shadow. Hearing what he had about Lucifer's true nature had restored his initial fear of the boy.

Sam had been taught how to fight against creatures of the night ever since he could walk. He'd been taught how to defend himself from everything from human beings to ghosts and demons. He knew the best weapons to use in any given situation, and knew the weakest points on a body that would bring his attacker to his or her knees in the quickest time.

But despite all of that, he was scared. And he had a very good idea as to why. The idea of fighting off the whole of the gang wasn't really daunting, especially as

he knew that Dean was only a phone call away. But whenever Sam thought about having to fight Lucifer himself, the idea turned his insides to ice. He was certain he'd be able to take anyone in the gang if the need arose. But Lucifer was another matter altogether. Lucifer seemed to be just like the creatures his father had taught him to defend himself against. He didn't care who he hurt or why or how badly they suffered. He was as cold and ruthless as some of the monsters that haunted Sam's nightmares; monsters Sam had had to accept were very real.

Lucifer was as real as any of those monsters, and it looked as if Sam was going to have to face him alone.

"Yo, Sammy!"

Sam jumped as if he'd been electrocuted and glanced over his shoulder. Gabriel was hovering behind him, cocky grin plastered onto his face, the stick of a lollipop just visible from the corner of his mouth. Sam smirked, finding with shocked relief that his feelings of fear were simply dispersing. That was just the effect Gabriel's company seemed to have on him, and he cherished every moment of it. He had definitely missed Gabriel for the short time he had been hanging around with Lucifer.

"Hey. I told you, you're going to get fat if you keep eating those. And is there any point in telling you not to call me that?"

"None whatsoever." Gabriel replied, falling into step beside Sam. "And I think I showed you that I've got nothing to worry about for now."

Sam felt his cheeks heat up as he remembered how he had been unable to look away from Gabriel's torso. As the visual memory flashed into his mind, he shook his head violently, his hair flying into his face.

"Thanks for reminding me of that.."

"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it." Gabriel said with a wink. "I'd love to see a similar view of you, sometime. Just to call it even."

"I bet you would." Sam responded with a roll of his eyes. There was no way Gabriel was being serious, he couldn't be.

"A little bird told me that you know all about my romantic entanglements, so what makes that so hard to believe?"

Sam came to a halt, and looked sideways at Gabriel. He too had stopped when Sam had, and was peering up at the taller boy with an expression a mixture of sadness and pity. They had reached the end of the street where the roads forked. Sam had to turn one way to get to his motel, while Gabriel was to take the opposite pathway in order to go home. And yet, neither of them moved. Sam averted his eyes from Gabriel's, but Gabriel neither pushed him to say anything, nor walked away. He just stood there, watching silently, waiting.

"Castiel told you he spoke to me, huh?" Sam asked eventually.

"He mentioned it, yeah." Gabriel sighed. "And am I correct in assuming he also told you about how my charming brother took the news?"

Sam frowned sadly, and because he was unsure of what else to do, placed his hand on the shorter boy's shoulder. "Gabriel, I'm so sorry.."

Gabriel grimaced and shrugged but didn't try to dislodge Sam's hand. "Yeah, brother of the year he ain't."

"If I'd have known -"

"Sam, stop, okay? You don't need to explain yourself to me. I know why you did it. Trust me; I know what it's like to live with a Father who's every order has to be followed to the letter. And I've got two older brothers that ensure the others stick to Daddy's plan. I guess I wanted something that wasn't decided for me too; something that I'd chosen about my life. My only regret is that other people suffered for the choice I made."

Sam's chest constricted painfully at the sad note in Gabriel's voice, and before he could think about what he was doing, he bent down and hugged the boy before him. It was in his very blood not to be all that keen on physical contact of any kind, but at that moment, the thought of not hugging Gabriel was impossible. Every nerve and fibre of his being wanted to envelope his arms around Gabriel and not let him go. When Gabriel's arms slid around him and hugged him back, Sam felt delicious warmth spreading all around his body, heating him up from the inside, melting his fear of Lucifer completely.

"Woah Sammy, what's with the PDA?" Gabriel asked, laughing.

"I'm scared, Gabe.." Sam found himself murmuring into the boy's shoulder, and subconsciously tightened his grip.

"Sammy, I won't let him hurt you the way he hurt the others." Gabriel whispered, rubbing his hand up and down Sam's back in a soothing manner, all laughter vanishing from his tone. "I won't let him hurt someone else special to me, okay? Here, take my number." He pulled away and slid a pen from his pocket and scribbled a number onto Sam's arm. Sam missed the warmth that came with Gabriel's embrace instantly, and had to stop himself from hugging Gabriel again. "You call me if he does anything, alright? And quicker than you can blink, I'll be there. You've got my word, Kiddo."

Sam gave Gabriel a small smile and the shorter boy practically beamed, his grip slipping from Sam's arm. He crossed the road and gave Sam a cheery wave before vanishing around the corner. Sam could still feel the warmth of Gabriel's touch on his arm and back, and it had given him a small boost of confidence, but it was nothing compared to the relief he had found in Gabriel's arms. Nevertheless, the knowledge that he now had two people that he could rely on to call if things got nasty was a very reassuring thought.

It was only when he got back to the motel room that he realised just what Gabriel had said. '_Someone else special_'. Sam's cheeks flared a bright red as he lowered himself onto his bed. Gabriel considered him to be someone special? The thought alone sent Sam's heart fluttering, and his stomach performing flip after flip. Curling his arms around it, he fell backwards and stared at the motel ceiling.

He was attracted to Gabriel, there was no point in denying it, but was it the same thing that he had had with Jess? That was what he was unsure of. Despite having only met him earlier that week, Sam couldn't imagine spending a day in the town without seeing Gabriel's cocky grin at least once. Gabriel made him laugh more than he had done for a while, and considering how bad he had been feeling upon arriving in the town, that was some massive feat. Also, being around Gabriel had such a calming effect on him. He found his fears and anxieties melting away in the boy's presence, regardless of how long or short the time they spent together was.

But was it just a crush, or something more?

He had lost count of just how many different shades of amber Gabriel's eyes were made of. He found the way Gabriel's hair stuck up in little flicks at the ends adorable, and he had found himself wanting to run his hand through it more than once. Closing his eyes, he recalled just how he had felt when he was told he'd have to leave Jess. He had flown off the handle, screamed himself hoarse at his father, and then gone along with his orders anyway. But imagining being told to leave Gabriel.. Sam winced at the thought alone. He honestly didn't think he could do it. No, he _wouldn't_ do it. He'd refuse to leave.

Sam's eyes opened. He couldn't leave the town if it meant leaving Gabriel. The mere thought of spending even a day without being near him was unthinkable. A week ago, if somebody had told him he would be feeling things for another boy that seemed even _stronger_ than what he had felt for Jess, he would have told them they were insane, plain and simple. And yet, there he lay, slowly coming to exactly that realisation.

"Guess that answers my question.." He muttered, rubbing his face with his hands.

* * *

><p>As Sam reached the entrance to the diner, the fear that had engulfed him outside the school earlier that day was beginning to creep up on him again. His stomach was churning unpleasantly and his mouth was bone dry. His heart was hammering against his ribs, and he felt slightly dizzy. In an attempt to calm himself, he slid his hand into his jacket pocket and felt the cold weight of his mobile. He had installed Gabriel's number into it just before he had left, and his phonebook was open. All he needed to do was press the appropriate button, and he'd be on the line to Gabriel.<p>

All the same, he'd have felt a lot better if Gabriel or Dean were next to him at that moment. But Dean was with Castiel God knows where, and Gabriel was waiting for him to call. He'd probably be pissed if Sam called him, made him run all the way to the diner to be told Sam wasn't actually in any danger, he was just scared of going in. Sam gave his phone a squeeze, before he lifted his hand from his pocket and walked to the diner, pushing the door open.

Just like the first time he had entered, the building was utterly deserted save for the table at the far end. Behind the counter, a man Lucifer had identified as one of his uncles, Zachariah, stood. He watched Sam with an amused smirk on his face as the teenager hurriedly crossed the dingy room and approached the far table. The rest of the gang were gathered there, talking amongst themselves. Silence fell when Sam entered their midst, though.

"Hello, Sam." Lucifer greeted him calmly, gesturing for him to take a seat. Sam remained standing, his heartbeat quickening. Lucifer may have sounded friendly and he may have been smiling, but his eyes were telling a completely different story. They were ice cold and furious.

Sam nodded his head, but never once took his eyes off any of them. Lilith was regarding him as if he were a particularly tasty piece of meat, Uriel was tapping his fingers gently on the tabletop, watching Sam with a small, nasty smile on his face and Gordon looked far smugger than Sam had ever seen him look. Meg, sat on Lucifer's immediate left, was the only one not looking up at Sam; her eyes were fixed on Lucifer as if awaiting his orders. Beside her, Ruby had her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes as cold as Lucifer's.

"I'd like you to explain something to me, Sam." Lucifer said, slowly getting to his feet. Sam held his ground but his hand twitched towards his jacket pocket. He felt a shiver pass through his body when Lucifer's gaze dropped to his jacket and back again.

"What's that?"

"Why you never showed up at lunch today, for one. Why Ruby tells me you were consorting with my brothers, for another."

"Castiel's my friend, and Gabriel -"

"Oh Sam, I know what Gabriel is to you. You _reek_ of my little brother." Lucifer growled. Sam felt a tingle of fear slide down his spine. "Is that your choice?" Lucifer asked after a pause, glaring straight at Sam.

"What?"

Sam took an instinctive step backwards as Lucifer slid out from behind the table and approached him. "What is your choice, Sam? Me or Gabriel?"

For a long time, nobody spoke. Sam just kept staring at Lucifer as he came to a halt just in front of him, arms folded tightly over his chest. If Sam's mouth had been dry before, it was nothing compared to now. He felt as if speech were completely beyond him. Standing before Lucifer like he was left him reeling; the sheer power emanating from Lucifer's eyes was enough to keep him frozen to the spot. Fear unlike any other he had felt before gripped him, leaving him immobile. And yet somehow, he forced his lips to move, made his mouth form words.

"Why does it have to be a choice between the two of you?"

Lucifer bent slightly, so that his eye line was level with Sam's. "Make your choice."

Heartbeat pumping faster than ever before, Sam met Lucifer's unwavering gaze. Just visible in the leader's eyes were the smallest flecks of the same amber that dominated Gabriel's irises. Seeing even the slightest reminder of Gabriel once again calmed Sam's nerves, and he felt his fear melting away. Filled with renewed confidence, Sam swallowed and glared straight back at Lucifer.

"I came here to tell you I quit."

He took a step backwards as the sound of chairs scraping behind Lucifer met his ears, hand racing to his pocket. Lucifer darted forwards and seized his wrist, tightening his grip. Sam cried out in pain as the sound of the bone breaking filled the otherwise silent diner, but Lucifer didn't release him. Instead, he dragged him closer, eyes filled with a new flame of malice.

"I'm very disappointed to hear that, Sam. I thought maybe you'd be the one that saw sense. But yet again, my little brother has wormed his way into my path." Lucifer snarled. "I guess I need to remind him just what happens when he does that."

Sam didn't know why he did it; it wasn't like it'd help him in the slightest. All he knew was that as Meg and Ruby took over holding his arms, restricting his movements completely, Lucifer reached into his jacket and pulled out a long, silver knife that shone brightly even in the dim diner lighting. There was no way of reaching his mobile, no way of calling for help.

So what made him whisper Gabriel's name, he'd never know.

* * *

><p>"Deano better not try anything weird with you." Gabriel said darkly, his hand tightening around the cordless house phone. His mobile sat in his other hand, ready in case Sam rung.<p>

On the other end of the line, Castiel sighed heavily. "What exactly do you think Dean will attempt that you would consider as 'weird'?" In the background, Gabriel faintly heard Dean's cry of '_What?_', and grinned.

"Oh, nothing bro." He replied, shrugging. "I'm just saying, you guys have gone to see a movie, right?"

"Yes. So?"

Gabriel rolled his eyes so hard he practically strained something. Having a brother with no concept of humour was rather irritating at times. "So, you might be going and, ya know, not end up _watching_ the movie."

There was a pause before Castiel answered, and during it, Gabriel could almost hear the cogs turning in his brain, trying to work out just what Gabriel had said. "I do not understand the point of that idea. Dean suggested that we watch it. Why would he suggest such an outing if he had no intention of watching it?"

"_Castiel, give me that phone, now!_" Gabriel heard Dean yell.

"Why Dean?"

"_So I can tell your brother to shove it up his -"_

"Charming, Deano." Gabriel spoke a little louder than was necessary, drowning out whatever it was Dean had suggested. "Just do me a favour and at least _try_ to keep it in your pants tonight. I'd rather not hear about it in explicit detail from Castiel."

"_Gabriel, shut your – Castiel, give me the damn phone!_" There was the sound of a scuffle, before Dean's voice became much clearer, but he was speaking at the same volume as before. "I'm not gonna try and fuck your brother in the middle of a damn cinema!"

"_Dean -"_

"I wouldn't put it past you, Deano."

"_Gabriel -"_

If Castiel said anything past his brother's name, it was drowned out by Dean's cry of rage. "Gabriel, are you _trying_ to piss me off?"

"_Dean._"

"Trying? Hardly. You take all the sport out of it. It's too easy."

"_Dean, give me back my phone._"

"Shut your damn mouth, Gabriel!" Dean snarled, ignoring Castiel.

"_Dean!_"

Gabriel listened, sniggering, as the sounds of another scuffle filled his ear. Dean was swearing like a trooper, calling him every name under the sun, while Castiel was desperately trying to wrestle his phone out of the human's hand. The thought that Castiel could destroy Dean as easily as snapping a twig amused Gabriel greatly, because rather than flaunt his power, his little brother chose to use the more mundane human technique of physically pulling the phone from the Winchester. Unsurprisingly, the next voice that spoke to him through the phone was Castiel's.

"Why do you choose to antagonise him, Gabriel?"

"Dunno what you're talking about, bro."

"You know precisely what I mean. Do not mock me by pretending you are oblivious."

Gabriel had just opened his mouth to respond when he heard it. The voice was quiet and faint but there, echoing over and over deep within the depths of his mind. His name. Spoken in a whisper, desperate and pleading, trembling in fear. The voice of Sam Winchester.

In that moment, Gabriel forgot everything else. He let both phones slides from his grip as he leapt to his feet. He forgot all about his own fear of his brother and instead focused on the ball of fury bubbling up inside his being. Scowl firmly fixed in place and eyes gleaming, he snapped his fingers, his destination locked onto where he had heard Sam call to him.

* * *

><p>One moment, Ruby and Meg's hands were gripping Sam's arms tightly. The next, both girls were screaming and being wrenched away from him, and he was tugged backwards against a firm chest. Supporting his broken wrist, Sam whirled around to stare at his saviour and his eyes flew open. Gabriel was walking to stand in front of him, and everything about his stance told Sam that he was ready to fight.<p>

He seemed taller, and a strange energy was pulsating from his being, rivalling the one from Lucifer himself. Lucifer was the only one who hadn't shrunk backwards when Gabriel had appeared; he remained where he stood, looking thoroughly unimpressed. Ruby was picking herself up from the wreckage of what remained of a table, glaring at Gabriel while Meg stayed on the floor against the counter, blood dripping from the back of her head.

Sam remained where he had been pulled to, holding his arm which was still throbbing dully, his eyes fixed on Gabriel, trying desperately to come up with some sort of explanation to how Gabriel had got there. All he knew was that he had wished for the boy to be there to help him and within the second, there he was. Sam couldn't explain it; there was no way of doing so.

As if he were reading his mind, Gabriel turned and smiled at Sam. "What can I say? I'm magical." He then turned back, and the next time he spoke, his voice was devoid of its usual cheer. "Back off, Luci. I'll take this for Sam."

Lucifer's eyebrows rose, but if he were planning to respond, he never got the chance. Sam surged forwards, gripping Gabriel's shirt with his good hand.

"No! No way, Gabriel! I made this mistake, I should -"

But Sam never got any further than that. Gabriel turned in his grip, slid his hand through Sam's hair and flattened it out against the back of his skull. And before Sam could speak another word, Gabriel pulled him forwards and down, pressing their lips together for a fraction of a second. As soon as the contact was instigated, Gabriel ended it by backing away, and he snapped his fingers, smiling at Sam sadly.

The next thing Sam knew, he was lying on his bed in his motel room, his brain utterly frazzled. He had somehow gone from the diner to his room in the space of a second, and his wrist no longer hurt. In fact – he tested it by rotating his hand – it was no longer broken; no evidence that it had ever been harmed at all. But he had heard that bone snap. Panic flooding through him as he remembered the other impossibe things that had happened that evening, Sam leapt to his feet. He could still feel the gentle pressure of Gabriel's kiss on his lips. He needed to get back to the diner. There was no way that Gabriel could take on the whole gang by himself; he needed help. That and he had some serious questions to answer.

Sam had barely taken a step through the motel room when the door opened and Dean came in.

"Dean! We have to go!" Sam cried, hurrying to his brother and trying to push him back out the door.

"Woah! Sammy, calm down! What's going on?"

"There's no time, Dean! We have to go _now_!" Sam tried to push past Dean but his brother's hand clamped down onto his shoulder.

"Sam, what's going on?"

Just then, _Eye of the Tiger_ began blaring into the motel room from Dean's pocket. Keeping one hand glued to Sam's shoulder, Dean reached into his jeans and pulled his mobile out, silencing the song by flipping the phone up.

"Hello? Cas? What's -?" Dean immediately fell silent as he listened to whatever it was Castiel was saying. Sam watched, terrified, as Dean's face gradually got paler and paler. Then, he hung up without a word, and turned to Sam. "Get ready to leave."

"Why?"

"That was Cas. He cancelled on me tonight, said something was wrong. Didn't hang around to explain, just up and vanished in that creepy way he does." Dean explained quickly, hurrying straight back out of the motel room and dragging Sam with him.

"And? What did he say?"

Dean's hand, still on Sam's shoulder, tightened. "Gabriel's in hospital, Sammy."


	7. Wind Beneath My Wings

_Did you ever know that you're my hero?_

_And everything I would like to be?_

_I can fly higher than an eagle_

_For you are the wind beneath my wings_

The moment the words were out of Dean's mouth, Sam's knees buckled and he would have slumped to the floor had his older brother not been holding him in place. His insides were doused with ice as the terrible sentence echoed in his brain, numbing him completely and stalling any further thought process. He was vaguely aware of Dean tugging him sharply into a proper standing position and being dragged down the street, but had no memory of just where he was being taken.

Gabriel was hurt. Gabriel was in hospital.

Because of him.

Because he'd been stupid enough to be talked into joining Lucifer and his gang, and then not having the guts to stick around and take the punishment.

"C'mon Sammy, walk! Help me out here!" He was only vaguely aware of Dean's growl beside him.

He gave himself a little shake and forced his legs to walk properly, even though his entire body was trembling. His stomach was churning horribly, and he felt like he was going to collapse if Dean lessened his grip on his shoulder even the slightest. The mental image of Gabriel lying unconscious in a hospital bed, tubes and wires sticking out of his body in various places, bruised, bloodied and broken was slowly breaking Sam's heart. He was to blame for whatever injuries Gabriel had sustained, and judging by Dean's expression; whatever Castiel had told him hadn't been good.

"It's my fault, Dean.." Sam whispered weakly as they came to a halt. A quick glance around told Sam Dean had led him to a bus stop.

"What? What are you talking about, Sam?" Dean snapped, barely glancing away from the bus timetable behind them.

"Gabriel's hurt because of _me_.."

"No he's not. He probably just pissed off the wrong guys. You know how he is; never shuts his damn mouth."

"Dean, it was Lucifer.." Sam said, his voice breaking.

"Yeah, I guessed as much." Dean muttered darkly. "As soon as he hung up on us, Cas freaked. Said he needed to go but wouldn't tell me why. I thought you were in trouble so I went straight to that diner, but it was deserted. Looked like the windows had been blown out. It was surrounded by police cars, and this old, bald guy was talking to a couple of them. I couldn't get anywhere near."

"Zachariah. He's Lucifer's uncle. Owns the place." Sam informed Dean.

"Oh." Dean shrugged. "Anyway, after that I went straight to our motel, hoping you'd be there. Next thing I know, you're trying to pull me back outside again, and then Castiel rings to say Gabriel's been sent to hospital."

"I'm telling you Dean, it's because of me. Gabriel came to help me when things got bad with Lucifer, and -"

"Sam, that's not possible. Gabriel called Cas from their house on that phone, not his mobile. He hangs up and in the space of five minutes, he's in hospital. He couldn't have even _reached_ the diner by then."

"I don't get how he did it but he did, Dean!" Sam cried, his frustration creeping up. "And somehow I ended up back in our motel!" He considered mentioning his wrist, but decided against it. He and Dean were confused about Gabriel's impossible travelling speed as it was.

Dean stared at him, his scepticism written clearly over his face. They had been dealing with supernatural events since they could walk, but this situation was totally alien to them. Somehow, a boy they had believed to be human had managed to get from one place to another in the space of a minute or so; probably even less. Not only that, but he had transported Sam from the diner to back to the motel room without even knowing where they were staying. Nothing was adding up. And Sam, usually the analytical one, was in no fit state to work anything out.

Just then, a bus pulled into the stop, signalled down by Dean. He paid for their fares and dragged Sam into one of the seats, collapsing next to him. Sam stared out of the window, his stomach still jolting uncomfortably. Dean's fingers were curled tightly around his mobile, obviously waiting for more news from Castiel. He had never had a proper conversation with Gabriel that hadn't led to the two of them bickering like little children, but that wasn't to say Dean wanted him to be suffering. As far as he could tell, Gabriel had backed Sam up against somebody he was clearly afraid of, and for that, Dean was thankful. He'd probably never tell Gabriel so, but he was. He'd got the impression Gabriel had been interested in Sam before then, but that it had never been serious. But now, he could see how wrong he had been. Stealing a sideways glance at the apprehensive look on Sam's face, he could tell the feeling was mutual.

The bus was moving agonisingly slow for Sam's liking. The only reason he stayed in his seat was Dean's hand still fixed on his shoulder, clamping down harder than ever, keeping him in place. Every time the bus pulled in at the next stop to drop off passengers or pick new ones up, he would twitch and try to escape Dean's hold but his brother was having none of it. Neither spoke; Sam felt incapable of speech anyway.

Gabriel was in hospital because of him.

He still couldn't quite believe Gabriel's own brother was responsible for his injuries, but there were no other suspects. Sam had seen it for himself; the rest of the gang had been backing away when Gabriel had first arrived. Lucifer was the only one who held his ground, holding that glinting knife. Sam reeled as he remembered the way it had flashed in the lighting, as if it were lit up from the inside by some unknown, invisible beam.

And Sam had left Gabriel there to handle it all by himself.

He was a terrible person.

If – no, _when_, because Gabriel _couldn't_ die – he got better, Sam would make a point of avoiding all contact with Gabriel. He couldn't imagine the boy wanting anything to do with him after this anyway; it was less painful for Sam to make that choice than have Gabriel make it for him. He was happy for Dean and his budding relationship with Castiel, and he'd rather avoid all three of them than risk putting a strain on their special bond. Maybe he'd just tell his father he was dropping out of school entirely and focus solely on helping him with the case until they moved on to the next town.

Finally, the bus pulled up in front of a tall, grey building and the robotic voice called out 'General Hospital'. They passed through the car park which was still full of vehicles. Dean gave Sam a slight tug on his jacket and they both got to their feet, hopping off the bus. Darkness had truly fallen by now, cloaking them in a vast curtain of black. Dean checked his watch, grimacing. Their father could be home at any time; they couldn't linger too long.

Once again, Sam allowed himself to be led forwards by Dean, who guided him through the whooshing automatic doors. As soon as they entered and the doors slid closed behind them, they were hit with the overpowering smell of chemicals that usually went with hospitals. Dean coughed, covering his mouth with his hand. Dead ahead of them was a spiral staircase leading to an upper floor corridor. The room they stood in ended in two sets of double doors straight ahead almost opposite them. To their left was a reception area, a long queue before it with three women in nurses' uniforms bustling up and down, dealing with the various complaints and questions. To their right were three long rows of hard, plastic straight-backed chairs. Most of them were occupied by people sitting in twos and threes, but the one person Dean's eyes fell straight on was a boy sitting by himself. He had short dark hair sticking up in tufts on the top of his head, and his body was almost engulfed by a tan coloured trench coat. His hands were clasped on his lap, his head bent, as if in prayer.

"Cas!" Dean called, hurrying forwards, dragging Sam with him, and ignoring the glares he received from several others in the room.

Upon hearing Dean's voice, Castiel's head snapped up and he breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted the two of them. "Dean." He whispered, as he got slowly to his feet.

For the first time that evening, Dean released his hold on Sam to throw his arms around Castiel. The dark haired boy stood there rigidly, blinking in confusion, as if human contact were an alien thing to him. Then, he wound his arms around Dean, mirroring the elder Winchester perfectly, and rested his head against Dean's shoulder. Eventually, Dean pulled away, but kept one hand fixed to Castiel's shoulder.

"Castiel, where's Gabriel?" Sam asked, his tone a lot weaker than before.

"Follow me." Castiel instructed, giving Dean one last glance, before turning on his heel and heading off towards the doors. Dean's hand slipped from his shoulder and fell to his side.

"Isn't visiting a strictly family only thing?" Dean asked as he and Sam jogged to catch up.

"I can be quite persuasive if I need to be." Castiel said, but did not elaborate. He sounded rather threatening as he spoke, making Dean and Sam exchange an identical, worried glance. Not even Dean had the gall to make the obvious joke about just what Castiel could do to persuade anybody.

The brothers followed Castiel down the corridor, up two stairways, down another corridor, through more doors and down yet another corridor until he eventually came to a halt in an almost deserted hallway. There were more of the plastic hard-backed seats scattered against the walls, and four doors ran the length of the corridor. Castiel took a deep breath, and indicated to the first door.

"They have only just brought him to this room." Castiel said quietly. "I arrived as the ambulance did, and rushed to the hospital myself. When I arrived, he was being examined. Shortly afterwards, he was taken up here and I contacted you, Dean. I have been waiting for you two ever since."

"What about your dad? Won't he want to see him?"

Castiel flinched, and closed his eyes. "Our Father.. Is very busy."

Dean's jaw dropped. "His _son_ is in hospital, because of another of his sons no less, and he's too _busy_ to come and see him?"

"Dean, keep your voice down." Castiel instructed sharply, fixing Dean with his glinting blue eyes, and Sam was amazed when Dean immediately closed his mouth. Castiel inhaled deeply, but offered no explanation as to his father's whereabouts. "Sam, you may go inside, if you wish." He didn't look away from Dean's face, but Sam knew better than to expect him to.

Sam gulped, closing his eyes but nodded. Clenching his hands into fists, he walked away from Dean and Castiel, and approached the door. There was a window beside it, but its blinds were down, preventing him from seeing the inside of the room. He was unsure whether he was pleased about this or not. Seeing Gabriel through the window would be some form of warning at least of what was to come. On the other hand however, if he saw Gabriel now, there was a good chance he'd turn on his heel and sprint off in the opposite direction. Moving slowly, he gripped the door handle, the cold metal biting into the warmth of his palm. Taking a deep breath, he pushed it down and the door swung inwards, away from him and he stepped inside.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

Gabriel was lying on a bed at the far side of the small room. His shirt had been removed, but this time Sam couldn't take his eyes off his pale torso out of horror rather than shock. Plastic tubes were sticking out of his arms, and several had been stuck to his chest. Many of these tubes were attached to machines that stood bleeping beside his bed, as well as a drip. There was a white bandage coiled around his abdomen, covering up his hips. A blanket covered the lower part of his abdomen and his legs. The closer Sam got, the more obvious the bloodied tinge staining the pristine white of the bandage became. Gabriel's eyes were closed, his lips curled into a frown. Sam's eyes strayed to those lips, which not long ago, had been pressed against his.

As the tears began to well up in his eyes, Sam managed to find his voice. "I'm so sorry, Gabe.. I'm so, so sorry.."

Just then, the door opened again. Sam whirled around, wiping his eyes furiously on the sleeve of his jacket as he did so. Castiel stood in the doorway, fixing Sam with a look that was full of understanding and pity. Sam turned away, unable to look at Castiel with that expression on his face. He didn't deserve anyone's pity, much less the brother of the boy he'd just put into hospital. But turning around only made his eyes focus on Gabriel's unconscious body, having a machine breathe for him, a bloody wound near his stomach. He felt more tears welling up in his eyes and cast his gaze upwards to the ceiling instead. Castiel must have seen the tears gathering in the younger Winchester's eyes, but he said nothing about it to Dean, which Sam was very grateful for.

"Sammy? We want to know what happened tonight." Dean's voice filtered in from the hallway. Sam was equally thankful Dean had stayed outside; it gave him an excuse to leave the room, but the horrible lurch of guilt in his stomach lingered, clenching tighter than ever.

A moment later and he was sitting next to Dean on one of the chairs in the hallway, wringing his hands in his lap and breathing deeply. Castiel remained standing to the side of them, his eyes fixed on the top of Sam's bent head. Sam was trying desperately to calm himself down, but he couldn't forget the state Gabriel was in, lying just a few feet from where he sat. Because of him. Sam became aware he was trembling, and wrung his hands tighter.

"I got a message from Lucifer in school today, telling me to go to the diner tonight to meet up with the others," Sam began, his voice shaking as much as the rest of his body. "I spoke to Gabriel after school, when you guys had left. He gave me his number and told me to call him if Lucifer tried to attack me or something. When I got there, I told Lucifer I was leaving, which he didn't take well. But here's where it gets weird.." Sam trailed off.

"Weird how?" Dean asked, brow furrowing. In front of them, unnoticed by either, Castiel's eyes flicked to the room containing Gabriel and back again. It was most peculiar for Gabriel to have revealed himself, but Castiel could see no other way Sam could have escaped alive and unscathed.

"I tried getting to my phone but Lucifer.. He got Ruby and Meg to hold my arms." Sam instinctively cradled the once broken wrist in his hand again, deciding at the last second to keep the miraculous healing process a secret. "Then he came towards me with this knife.."

"A _knife_?" Dean snarled, his tone ferocious. Once again unnoticed by the two of them, Castiel flinched and his gaze darted to his brother and back.

"Yeah.. I couldn't get to my phone, Ruby and Meg had me pinned. And I don't know what happened.. I just said his name and then suddenly, he was _there_. And he k.." Sam came to a halt, choosing once again to skip that particular part of his story. "He.. He just snaps his fingers and next thing I know I'm back at the motel."

Dean opened his mouth to comment, when once again, he was cut across by _Eye of the Tiger_. Swearing under his breath, he pulled his mobile from his jeans pocket. Sam watched as his eyes widened and he mouthed a particularly foul word, before he answered. Castiel remained hovering between the seats and the entrance to the room, watching both of them carefully in turn.

"Yes sir. Yes. Sorry. Yeah, I'm with him. At a friend's. Sorry. Was picking Sammy up and lost track of.. Yes. Yes sir. Yes. Okay." Dean hung up and sighed, pressing the mobile to his forehead, before turning to Sam. "Dad's back at the motel and damn near had a heart attack when he found we were both missing. Cas?" He called as he got to his feet, pulling Sam up with him.

"Yes Dean?"

"We have to go, but we'll come back tomorrow, right Sammy?"

Unable to speak, the room just visible from the corner of his eye, Sam nodded. Castiel nodded too, a small smile on his face. Dean grinned back at him, before he and Sam turned and hurried back down the corridor. Castiel watched them until the double doors had swung shut behind their retreating backs, before he turned towards the room in which his brother currently lay. Peering up and down the corridor once to ensure it was still deserted, Castiel turned and walked into the room, closing the door behind him.

He hadn't exactly been entirely honest with Dean or Sam.

He hadn't arrived at the diner as the ambulance got there. He had been the one to catch Gabriel as he stumbled backwards, bleeding profusely. It had been he who had laid his barely conscious brother on the diner floor and shielded him from further attack. It had been he who had sent Meg flying through the diner window, finally alerting a group of people waiting at a nearby bus stop. It had been they who had called the ambulance, and Castiel, hearing their shouts, had taken the opportunity to drag Gabriel from the building. As he lay in his little brother's arms, his eyes slid closed and he fell out of consciousness. Soon after, the ambulance had arrived and Castiel had indeed gone along inside it. He looked for any chance to heal his brother, but could not risk exposing himself in front of any humans.

That was about to change.

He approached Gabriel's bedside with extreme caution, his blue eyes fixed unblinkingly on the wound on Gabriel's abdomen. It was truly terrible in his opinion that an angel could so much as contemplate using an angel killing blade on his own brethren. And yet, Lucifer had done so. It was frankly a miracle that he had missed any of Gabriel's vitals; a little higher and Gabriel's wings would have been burnt into the diner floor. If he had arrived a second or two later, Gabriel's fate could well have been sealed. Castiel pressed two fingers to his brother's skin, a new light shining deep in his blue orbs.

As the light bulb within the room began to flicker violently, it cast oddly shaped shadows against the far wall. Anyone staring into the room at that particular moment would have seen, for the briefest moment, what looked like wings silhouetted against the plaster, stretching higher and higher towards the ceiling.

* * *

><p>John Winchester was famous for his lectures that took hours to snail by; both of his sons knew this all too well. The moment Sam and Dean were safely back inside the motel, he launched into the rant to end all rants, screaming himself hoarse at how foolish they were both being, before he finally stormed out, slamming the door behind him. They heard the Impala's engine start up before the squeal of tyres told them he had left once again.<p>

Dean rolled his eyes and flopped down onto the motel's sofa, clicking the television set on as he did so. Sam remained standing, his eyes dull and glazed over. He had barely heard a word John had said; instead he just let the lecture wash over him; in one ear and out the other. What did it matter to him that his father was fuming? He was always angry about something. But he, Sam, had been the cause of someone ending up in the hospital. It didn't help any that this person was Gabriel; a boy Sam had realised he cared for more than Jessica.

"Sammy, come and sit down." Dean called from the sofa. When he received no reply, he leant over the back of the uncomfortable settee and eyed his brother. Sam hadn't even reacted to his shout. "Sam!" He tried again.

Still nothing; Sam's eyes remained on the floor, deaf to the world.

Dean watched him. The look on Sam's face when he had left Gabriel's room had been nothing short of broken. Dean hadn't seen him look that lost or dismayed before, not even when John first broke the news he'd have to leave Jessica. Sam had argued back, but now it was like all of the fight had gone from him. He wasn't crying, but it was obvious even to Dean that he wanted to. Dean rolled his eyes again, grabbed a cushion behind him and lobbed it at Sam. His aim was true. The cushion slammed into the side of Sam's head, and he was so dazed that he staggered backwards, nearly falling right over.

Grabbing the cushion from the floor, Sam whirled around to glare at Dean. "What the _hell_?"

"Good to see that snapped you out of it." Dean muttered dryly. "Don't stay here, Sam. Go back and see Gabriel."

Sam blinked, certain he had misheard. "What?" Dean telling him to disobey a direct order from their father? It just wasn't normal. If he hadn't been by Dean's side every step of the way, Sam would have been certain his brother had been replaced with a shifter on their way back to the motel.

"You don't want to be here. So go back and sit with him. Dad probably won't be back for a good two hours, so make the most of it."

"But -"

"Sam, get out of here before I throw you out." Dean growled, turning back to the television set. "I'll call you if I hear anything from Dad."

Sam stood there, gripping the cushion tightly in his hands. Although the thought of seeing Gabriel in that state again left him feeling numb inside, Sam was aching to go back to the hospital. He just couldn't stand sitting around, twiddling his thumbs, waiting for news from Castiel. He needed to know as soon as something happened; he had to _be_ there to witness it. And he needed to explain himself as soon as Gabriel woke up; the boy had to know how sorry Sam was. How Sam could understand if Gabriel never wanted to see him again, even if the mere thought of that delivered a terrible blow to Sam. Sam couldn't sit there. He _had_ to go back, to see if anything had changed, and to just _see_ Gabriel.

Especially if Gabriel chose to alienate him from then on.

Seeing him one last time would be enough for Sam.

"Thanks, Dean." He whispered under his breath. If Dean heard him, he made no attempts to reply. Sam smiled weakly at the back of his brother's head, before he let the cushion fall to the floor, turned on his heel and ran out of the motel.

* * *

><p>By the time Sam got back to the hospital, the car park had emptied dramatically. He practically flew off the bus, tearing into the hospital, following the same route Castiel had led them down previously. He didn't slow down once, having only one thought in mind. Get to Gabriel. As Sam skidded to a halt at the entrance to the corridor, clutching a stitch in his chest, his eyes fell on the door to Gabriel's room. His heart hammered, and Sam had a feeling it was not due to how fast he had been running. Stomach flip-flopping again, Sam took a deep breath before marching into the corridor.<p>

Once again, he gripped the cold metal of the door handle and pushed it down, the door swinging open.

What he saw made him freeze in his tracks, arm still extended towards the door, which had bumped gently against the wall.

Castiel was standing next to Gabriel's bed, staring round at Sam, looking alarmed. But Sam's eyes were not on him; they were on Gabriel. The boy was sitting up against his pillows, halfway through pulling off one of the many tubes stuck to his chest. very much awake. Sam's eyes travelled south and widened dramatically. The bleeding wound that had etched itself into Sam's memory was gone. The bandages were lying discarded nearby Gabriel's waist on the mattress, still stained crimson. But on his abdomen where the wound had been, was nothing. Not even a scratch.

For a while, nobody moved.

Then, shaking worse than ever, Sam found his voice.

"What the hell is going on here..?"


	8. In The Arms Of An Angel

_In the arms of an angel_

_Far away from here_

_From this dark, cold hotel room_

_And the endlessness that you fear_

_You are pulled from the wreckage_

_Of your silent reverie_

_In the arms of an angel_

_May you find some comfort here_

"Well.. This is awkward.."

Since Sam had asked his question, an uneasy, tense silence had descended upon them all, broken only by the bleeping of the machine next to the bed which was still attached to Gabriel. Gabriel muttered his words under his breath, scratching the back of his head absent-mindedly with his hand. He was trying to succeed in breaking the uncomfortable silence and relaxing the atmosphere, but it hadn't worked. Castiel just stood stock still, gaze fixed on the floor, arms hanging limply by his sides. Sam was still fixed in the doorway, staring from one sheepish face to the other, waiting for a response.

"That doesn't answer my question, Gabriel.." He muttered eventually.

"Kiddo, I don't know what to tell ya." He replied with a sigh.

"Tell me the truth." Sam ordered, a slight edge to his voice.

Gabriel exchanged a glance with Castiel, before he folded his arms over his chest. "Be specific, Sammy. What exactly do you want the truth about?" He inclined his head towards the chair that sat beside the bed. When Sam didn't move, Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Sam, if I'm about to pour my heart out, the least you can do is come and sit by me."

Not taking his eyes off of Gabriel's, Sam crossed the room and slid into the chair without a word. With a swish of his trench coat, Castiel turned on his heel and left the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, Gabriel relaxed against his pillows but kept his arms crossed over his bare chest, amber eyes fixed on Sam's green ones. For a while, neither of them spoke; they just continued to stare at one another in silence, quite similar to how Castiel and Dean often did. Finally, it was Gabriel who broke the trance.

"Sam, you're the one that said you wanted to hear the truth. Just ask me something."

However, Sam's brain had jammed. His shock of discovering Gabriel alive and well was quickly turning into warm, calming relief, and he was forced to fight with himself not to leap forwards and hug the boy. Not only that, but Gabriel seemed perfectly happy to continue associating with him despite what had happened. To risk jeopardising that by asking stupid questions seemed ridiculous to Sam.

But Gabriel it seemed wanted Sam's questions to be spoken.

"Okay, fine." With a roll of his eyes, he leant closer to Sam. The younger Winchester, remembering Gabriel's kiss not that long ago, blushed scarlet and leant away. Gabriel smiled, but did not draw back. "What exactly is it your dad brought you and Deano here for, Sammy?"

"What?" Sam's brain was still numb, but now due to their current proximity. Despite having moved back against the chair, Gabriel was still close enough for Sam to feel his warm breath on his face.

"No use playing dumb, Sam." Gabriel said, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "We're going to get the whole truth out between us now. No secrets, no lies. Otherwise this whole evening," He gestured at himself, "Was for nothing. I'm going to tell you things about me, my family and this place you would never have guessed. I expect the truth from you in return. After all, can't have a relationship without honesty and trust."

"Wait, what? A relationship?" Sam asked, his voice weak.

Gabriel grinned. "I don't go jumping in front of things that have been made specifically to kill me for just anyone, Sammy. I told you before. You're special to me. And going by how long you were staring at me at my place the other day," Sam flushed even darker, "And how you didn't push me away when I was kissing you tonight," Sam practically glowed, "Then I can safely assume you like me too?"

After a moment of silence, Sam quickly nodded his head. Gabriel smiled at him, reaching forwards and stroking his hair.

"I don't think you should jump the gun on that one, Sammy." He said, and Sam was shocked to hear a sad note in his tone. "You've got to hear some nasty facts about me first."

"Like what?"

"Like the real reason your dad brought you two to this town."

"He's a mechanic. We just move -"

"What did I say about lies, Sam?" Gabriel asked rather sharply, the hand in his hair tightening around a few strands. "The truth comes out now. I happen to _know_ why you're all here, of all places. I'm just waiting to hear it from your mouth."

"Honestly? I don't know." Sam mumbled under his breath, determined not to give anything away. Gabriel would run a mile if he knew the truth about Sam and his family; anybody would.

"Well, that's not true. I wouldn't run a mile."

Sam twitched, staring at Gabriel through widened eyes. How had Gabriel known he'd been thinking that? He'd never said a word. Gabriel was watching him, amber eyes burning with an emotion Sam couldn't quite put his finger on. His hand was still stroking Sam's hair gently, and each time his fingers moved, Sam felt a new wave of delicious warmth rush through him. And then, before he could stop himself, a question tumbled from his mouth.

"How did you hear me tonight?"

Gabriel smiled. "I can always hear you, Sammy. You called to me, and I heard your call. Simple as."

"But how's that possible? And how did you get there so quick? I mean, it was barely a second afterwards, and then you were there.."

"Would you believe me if I just said I'm super-fast?" Gabriel asked, grin widening. He sniggered when Sam frowned, and waved his spare hand. "I'm joking. I can only tell you the honest answer to that question if you're ready to hear it, Sammy. I know that your dad hunts monsters, and that's what you and Dean been trained to do for your whole life." He ignored the way Sam's eyes had flown open at these words, and ploughed on. "I know that you can accept the truth about me a lot better than anyone else, but that doesn't mean it won't be a shock. Are you sure you want to hear this?"

Sam paused to think. Gabriel had frozen all movement, watching Sam intently. Even the hand that had been stroking his hair had stopped, although Gabriel's fingers were still curled in his locks. He couldn't deny that he was bursting with curiosity, supressing so many questions, it was difficult to keep quiet and consider what Gabriel had told him. But beneath the curiosity was a sense of foreboding. From what he had heard from Dean and his father, anything that seemed to be able to read your mind was dangerous, inhuman and therefore needed to be destroyed. Gabriel seemed to be able to do exactly that. And heal broken wrists. And transport himself or others long distances in the blink of an eye. And he knew what their father did; that was rather unsettling to say the least.

For a brief moment, Sam felt tempted to back away from Gabriel and his touch; to run back to the motel as fast as he could and tell Dean everything Gabriel had told him so far. And then, heartbeat quickening as panic began to take over, Sam's eyes met Gabriel's again. They were warm and gentle, and as usual, he felt himself instantly calmed. That mystery emotion was still burning in Gabriel's eyes and with a pang, Sam realised what it was. It was the exact same glint Dean's eyes developed when he was trying to hide the fact he was afraid.

Sam felt his initial fear ebbing away into nothingness. If Gabriel really _was_ something dangerous or threatening, surely he would have attacked Sam and Dean before now? They had been alone together plenty of times; Sam had even been alone in their house. And yet nothing had happened. Gabriel had saved his life tonight. Surely.. Surely that meant he wasn't a threat..?

Taking a deep breath, Sam relaxed once again into Gabriel's touch.

"Tell me."

Gabriel inhaled gently, and smiled. "D'you remember what Castiel told you ages ago when you asked about our family? With particular emphasis on our names?"

Sam blinked at the odd question, before casting his mind back to that computer session when he and Castiel had first started to bond. "Uh.. He said you guys are named that way because your dad is really religious?"

"Bingo, Sammy. And do you remember what I told you not long after that about our Father?"

"Gabriel, what's this got to do with -?"

"Just answer the question, Sam."

Frowning, Sam forced himself to remember their conversation out in the grounds. It had been just after he had taken Gordon out. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb, trying to bully his brain into working. "You said.. You said you'd only met him a few times?"

"Good head on your shoulders there, Sam." Gabriel smiled. "Yep, only seen him three or four times in my whole life. It's the same for Michael, Lucifer and Raphael. Castiel's never met him. Not once."

Gabriel was speaking with emphasis on certain words as if he were trying to give Sam a hint, but the Winchester remained utterly clueless. After a few moments, Gabriel groaned and pitched backwards onto his pillows, sniggering.

"I take it back! You're denser than Dean!"

"Hey.." Sam grumbled, frowning.

"Come on Sammy, think! Four brothers who have only seen their Father a handful of times.. Other members of the same family who have never seen Him.. Rather religious names.. Anything ringing a bell?" When Sam only blinked, Gabriel continued, "Michael? Lucifer? Gabriel? Raphael? Where you heard those names before, Sammy?"

"Well, they're -" Sam began but trailed off, staring at Gabriel sceptically. "No way. You're pulling my leg."

"Hm?" Gabriel asked, his expression the picture of innocence.

"They're the archangels. But you're not _seriously_ trying to say -"

"And why not?" Gabriel smiled.

"Because.. Because angels don't _exist_.. Let alone archangels!"

"I'm insulted.." Gabriel pouted. "Sam, I told you this would be difficult to accept, didn't I? But I swear to you, I'm telling the truth. Ever wonder why _all_ my family are named after angels? Because they're the real things. Ever wonder why there's been no Father figure in our house? Because God likes going walkabouts."

"Wait, hold up. Now you're trying to tell me God's real?"

"Real as you and me, Sammy."

"No way.. This is a joke, right?" Sam laughed.

Gabriel docked an eyebrow. Before Sam could stop him, he sat upright in his bed and swung his legs over the side of the mattress. He retracted his hand from the back of Sam's head who had pushed the chair he was sitting on backwards at Gabriel's sudden movement. Sam didn't even have a chance to open his mouth before Gabriel twitched and rolled his shoulders. Sam watched, shocked speechless, as two black wings spread slowly behind Gabriel, curving in a beautiful arch near the ceiling. Sleek black feathers gleamed in the hospital light, which had begun flickering again.

"Look like a joke to you, Sammy?" Gabriel asked, grinning. "Be careful not to touch them, though. Our wings are _very_ sensitive, and we _are_ by a bed right now.." He trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

But Sam barely heard him. Once again, his brain had stalled to a complete halt. Sitting before him was a very real _archangel_. He had gone to _school_ with an _archangel_. An _archangel_ had come to his rescue from – Sam's eyes widened even further, and his jaw dropped. Turning to Gabriel who was watching him intently, he struggled to find his voice.

"Wait.." He muttered weakly. "Does this mean Dean picked a fight with the _devil_?"

Gabriel's laugh filled the hospital room. Eventually, he nodded. "Technically, yes."

"A.. And Castiel? H.. He's an a.. Angel too..?" Sam asked, voice getting gradually quieter, his mind threatening to implode.

"Yup. So is Uriel. And Zachariah. Basically anyone in our family." Gabriel grinned at the amazed expression on Sam's face. "Meg, Ruby and Lilith are demons. Gordon was the only honest to Dad human in that gang, before you showed up."

"A.. Anything else..?" Sam asked, not really sure if he wanted to hear the answer or not.

"Well.." Gabriel mused, tapping his chin, "Crowley's a demon, too. And Chuck's a prophet." Gabriel paused before he laughed, making Sam jump. "Sorry! I just remembered he'd told me it'd end bloody if I didn't come clean to you before now." He indicated to his stomach. "Guess he was actually right. But I'll give up my lollipops before Castiel willingly visits a brothel."

"_What_?"

"Chuck has premonitions of the future, and -"

"Stop, please, before my head explodes.." Sam muttered, rubbing his temples with his fingers.

"I warned you." Gabriel replied with a shrug.

They sat in silence for a while, Sam trying to digest everything Gabriel had told him. He and Dean had been going to school with many people who they'd been trained to kill on sight. It was a shock, if nothing else. And then another question bubbled up in his mind, nagging at him to be asked. Before he could stop himself, the words had escaped his lips.

"Why'd you save me?"

"Rather me than you, Sammy. I couldn't live with myself if you ended up getting hurt or worse, just because I was too scared to face my own brother."

"But.. _Why_?"

"Don't you get it yet, Sammy?" Gabriel smiled, leaning forwards so that he was once again invading Sam's personal space. "Trying not to sound like a kid here, but I really like you."

Sam's cheeks flushed dark red, but he didn't move back. "But it's dangerous for you to be around me.. I mean, you know what my dad does.. What Dean and I have been raised to do.."

"Well Sammy, danger has always been _very_ appealing to me.." He leant even closer. "And if it means I'm with you, so be it. I guess I'll have to suffer Deano and your father." He heaved a dramatic sigh.

For the first time that evening, Sam felt a grin spreading across his face, which Gabriel returned. Then, because he could resist it no longer, Sam leant forwards and closed the distance between himself and Gabriel. After a few moments, he ended the kiss, leaning back again but still grinning.

"Mm, you taste just like those damn lollipops you love so much."

Gabriel docked an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't like sweets?"

"Guess you're an exception." Sam replied, pulling Gabriel in for another kiss.

* * *

><p>When Sam returned to the motel an hour later, his mind was still buzzing. Castiel had returned soon after his and Gabriel's third kiss that evening, accompanied by a doctor. As they had started discussing whether Gabriel should be allowed to leave that evening or not, Sam slipped outside, promising to return tomorrow with Dean. Halfway home, he got a text from Gabriel, explaining that he was being forced to stay in the hospital for at least one night. '<em>Which is a damn shame,<em>' he had said, '_I was looking forward to tucking you up in bed.._'

Sam felt an involuntary grin slide onto his face as he closed the motel door quietly. Dean was fast asleep on his bed. Silently, Sam crossed the room and settled down on the sofa, turned the television down so that it was almost muted, and began channel flicking. He was too wired to sleep; there were too many thoughts buzzing around in his brain.

He didn't have long to wait, though. Only ten minutes after he had arrived home, the door opened again and John entered. He looked exhausted. He gave Sam a small smile, before he crossed the room and took a seat next to his youngest son.

Trying to make amends, Sam asked quietly, "How's the hunt going?"

"Not good, Sam." He said wearily. "This isn't something I've ever hunted before. It's not a spirit, or a demon. But there's something here."

At his father's words, Sam's insides immediately turned to icy slush. Heartbeat rocketing in sheer panic, he tried his best not to let it show on his face or in his voice as he spoke.

"I'm sure you'll get a breakthrough eventually." He said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone, before he faked a yawn. "I'm gonna go to bed. 'Night, Dad."

"'Night, Sammy." His father replied, taking the remote from Sam and continuing flicking through the channels.

Sam climbed into his bed fully dressed and laid down, but did not sleep. His ears straining for signs of movement from his father, he carefully pulled his mobile from his pocket, and checked the time. It was nearing one o'clock in the morning. Biting his lip, he decided he couldn't wait. So, being as quiet as he possibly could, he began typing a text message.

'_Gabriel, please tell me you're awake_..'

He waited a few moments after sending it, fear flooding through him, teeth still locked down on his lip. It was a sign of just how shot his nerves were when he nearly yelled out when his phone vibrated with a reply from Gabriel.

'_Angels don't really sleep, Sammy. Hint, hint. What's up? Want me to come see you? ;]_'

Despite his panic, Sam found himself smiling. '_Tempting, but I'm gonna have to pass for now_.'

'_Awh.. So why are you texting me at one a.m.? Is something wrong?_'

'_Yeah.. It's my dad. I think he's hunting you and Cas.._'

This time, there was a rather long pause in which Gabriel didn't reply. Sam closed his eyes, gripping the phone tightly in his hand. Eventually, it vibrated against his palm, and he nearly forgot to be quiet in his speed to read the message. But he wasn't as reassured by Gabriel's reply as he would have liked.

'_Don't worry. I'm sure Cas and I can take care of ourselves_.'

Sam surpressed a sigh. '_Gabriel, I want you to promise me something._'

'_Anything, Sammy.'_

'_If he finds you, I want you and Cas to get the hell out of here. Just promise me that, Gabe, please.._'

'_Yeah I promise. But I'll just go wherever you go next, and I know Cas will follow Dean like a puppy_.'

After that, Sam felt himself relax. He was being silly, panicking like that. Gabriel would be able to tell if their father was on to them, and had the power to take appropriate action against anything John would throw at him. Gabriel and Castiel weren't in any danger, Sam now realised, but nevertheless he felt relieved by the fact Gabriel had promised. Soon after, he fell into a restful sleep, his mind calm. However, on the bed next to his, Dean was far less relaxed.

He was stuck in a nightmare.

In his dream, he was standing before Castiel, expect it wasn't the Castiel he knew. This Castiel had two, large black wings protruding from his back, feathers rustling in a breeze. Dean wanted to run, but he found himself rooted to the spot under Castiel's piercing blue-eyed gaze. Then, Castiel's eyes widened, and he began to back away, visibly trembling. His wings arched down to curl protectively around himself. He was staring at a spot behind Dean, but Dean couldn't make himself turn to see what it was.

"Dean..?" Castiel's voice was different; it was no longer impassive. Instead, it was full of fear and hurt.

And then Dean heard another noise, accompanied by a second voice, both of which turned his insides to ice.

The cocking of a gun, and the sound of John Winchester snarling, "If it's supernatural, it dies."

Dean woke up with the noise of the gun firing ringing in his ears. He was shaking, and could feel cold sweat on his back. Supressing a shudder, he rubbed his eyes with his hands, and tried to calm himself. It was only a dream. It wasn't like anything like that could ever actually happen..


	9. Even Angels Fall

_It's a secret no-one tells_

_One day it's heaven, one day it's hell_

_It's no fairy-tale, take it from me_

_That's the way it's supposed to be_

_You will fly and you will crawl_

_God knows even angels fall_

_No such thing as you lost it all_

_God knows even angels fall_

When Sam woke up the next morning, it was to discover John sitting at the table, notes spread all across the wooden surface and several books lying open in front of him. Dean was nowhere to be seen. John's eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the book's pages, and he was muttering under his breath. Trying not to make too much noise, Sam slid out of bed, grabbed a change of clothes and locked himself in the bathroom. After he'd showered and changed, he entered the motel room again. John was sitting where Sam had left him, and still, Dean was absent.

With a gentle sigh, Sam crossed to the sofa and pulled his boots on. This action finally drew John from his rapt concentration, and he fixed Sam with a piercing stare.

"Where are you going?" He asked, voice hoarse. It was obvious that he'd had no sleep.

Sam stalled for a moment, before making up his mind. "A friend of mine and Dean's from school got admitted to hospital last night. I got the text at about one this morning."

"Mm, I heard you." John nodded, and Sam's stomach churned.

"So I thought I'd go see how he's doing."

His father paused for a moment. "Did he get attacked by something?" A fire was now dancing in John's eyes.

"No!" Sam said, a little too quickly because John's eyebrow docked. Heartbeat rocketing from panic, Sam lowered the loudness of his voice and hastily backtracked. "No, he.. He only tripped and broke his arm."

"Oh," John relaxed back into his chair. "Thought it might have been a lead. I'm getting nowhere here."

"You'll find it eventually, sir." Sam said, relieved that he had dodged the bullet, still uncomfortably aware of his heart having leapt into his throat.

John merely grunted in reply, and Sam took that as his cue to leave. He stood from the sofa and hurried from the motel, pausing once safely outside to release a breath he was not consciously holding. He then took off along the road, heading for the bus stop. Unbeknownst to him, John was watching him carefully from the motel window, frowning.

* * *

><p>In Gabriel's hospital room, he was still fully wide awake, sitting back against his pillows. The nurses had been in earlier that morning and removed all of the pads and tubes from his body, announcing that he would be able to leave once they had given him one last check-up. Castiel was sitting on the chair Sam had sat on yesterday, hands cupped in his lap, eyes on the floor. Gabriel eyed his brother carefully, before breaking the silence.<p>

"So.. How are you and Deano doing? Do I need to kick his backside yet?"

"Everything is fine, Gabriel. He informed me this morning that he wishes to see me again. And that you won't interrupt us this time."

Gabriel snorted. "Well excuse me for saving his brother's life."

"He understands that." Castiel said. "I believe he was making an attempt at humour."

"Which of course sailed right over your head.." Gabriel muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, bro, nothing."

There was a moment's silence between them once again. Castiel frowned slightly, and his hands clenched slightly in his lap. This action didn't go unnoticed by Gabriel, whose eyebrows knotted together.

"What's wrong?"

"You told Sam about us." Castiel said. It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, I did." Gabriel replied, a little sharply. "That a problem?"

"No. I want to tell Dean, too.. But.." He trailed off, blue eyes going back to the floor.

"But you don't know how he'd take it." Gabriel finished, and Castiel nodded.

"Cas, as your friend, I think you should tell him." A voice from the doorway spoke. Both of them looked up; Gabriel grinned and Castiel managed a weak smile as they saw Sam making his way into the room.

"He may not be as understanding as you were, Sam.." Castiel said quietly.

"I'm not saying he won't freak out a little, Cas. But he cares about you, a lot. Trust me on that one."

"And hey, not much of a relationship if you're constantly hiding a secret from him is it?" Gabriel said. "Anyway, I'm being let out today. If he reacts badly, I'll be glad to beat some sense into him."

"That will not be necessary, Gabriel." Castiel said firmly.

"Awh, why not? I promise I won't drop him in a wormhole or anything!" Gabriel whined.

"_What_?" Sam laughed.

"Gabriel, I said no."

Gabriel pouted, looking more like a three year old child than an archangel. "That's not _fair_.."

"Wait, you can drop people into wormholes?"

"Sammy, I can create anything, anywhere, anytime." Gabriel said with a wink. "Case in point," He snapped his fingers and a lollipop appeared in his grip. Sam stared open-mouthed as he unwrapped it and placed it in his mouth.

"Remind me never to piss you off.." Sam muttered.

* * *

><p>Dean had left the motel room as soon as he woke up that morning, announcing that he was going for a walk and that he'd be back soon. He needed to clear his head after that bizarre dream. First of all, why was he dreaming about Castiel with wings? Secondly, why was his father trying to shoot him? It just felt so real, it left him feeling quite sick, and he was in desperate need of fresh air. After he had walked all over the town and had just reached the door to the motel room he heard his mobile ringing in his pocket, and answered it.<p>

"Sammy?" He asked, for that was the name that had come up on his screen.

"Hello, Dean." Castiel's voice sounded through the device, and even though it was only his voice, Dean still felt a jolt in the pit of his stomach.

"Hey, Cas. Are you with Sam?"

"Yes, we are at the hospital. Gabriel is being released today."

"_What_? But he was in a really bad way when we visited him last night! He was unconscious!" Dean cried, utterly amazed.

"I know. But he has recovered."

"How the hell..?"

For a while, Castiel didn't answer. Then, eventually, he spoke, "Dean, I would like to rearrange a time and place to meet you."

"Wait, what about -?"

"I will explain when I see you."

"Oh.. Okay, well, I'm free now."

"Do you know the woods nearby the school?"

"The woods? Yeah, I've just walked past them."

"Meet me there as soon as you can." He said, and then ended the phone call.

Dean stared at his mobile for a while, before he slid it back into his pocket and spun on his heel, setting off again. Just behind the motel room door, John had been listening in, particularly when Dean had shouted. His sons had been acting curiously for some time now, and he wanted answers. They could have even been enchanted by whatever it was he was after. And if they were, he would be unable to get a straight answer from them.

Sam had told him that morning that a friend of theirs had been admitted to hospital early in the morning. The way Dean was reacting, it sounded to John as if they had already been to visit a friend at the hospital. And both of them _had_ been back late last night. Their stories simply didn't match, and John wanted to know what the truth was.

Making up his mind, he grabbed his car keys and also left the motel. Dean had mentioned woods. He would get there before Dean and wait, and then follow his son. Maybe he could lead John to what he was looking for.

* * *

><p>Within ten minutes, Dean was back at the woods. He continued walking; hands shoved in his jacket pockets, leaving the smooth concrete pavement for soft, grassy earth. The trees stretched high above him, covered in emerald green leaves, blocking out most of the sun. A strong breeze whistled through the gaps in the foliage, hitting Dean and making him shiver, pulling his jacket tighter around his torso.<p>

He glanced around, looking for any sight of a tan trench coat, and finally spotted Castiel sitting on a bench on the outskirts of the woods, right beside a dirt track leading into the trees. Dean felt a smile creep onto his face, and jogged over, settling himself next to Castiel.

"Hey." He said.

"Hello, Dean." Castiel said with a small smile.

"Sam still with Gabriel at the hospital?"

"Yes. Gabriel will be out within the hour, so Sam wanted to stay with him."

"Sounds like Sammy.. So come on, spill. How'd Gabriel manage to get himself checked out so early?"

For the first time, Castiel looked slightly doubtful. His gaze slipped from Dean's, who panicked. It was the first time Castiel had ever done willingly broken eye contact with him without being distracted by anyone else. He dipped his head, catching Castiel's eye again, a horrible cold descending down his spine when Castiel looked away. The boy looked scared as he caught Dean's eye again, his blue eyes glinting with fear.

"Cas, what's wrong?" Dean asked gently, bringing his hand up to cup Castiel's face. "What's happened?"

Castiel had relaxed into his touch, closing his eyes. "Nothing has happened, Dean. But I need to tell you something."

"You can tell me anything."

Castiel's eyes slid open again, and he managed a rather weak smile. Then, without a word, he got to his feet and pulled Dean up with him. Dean was surprised to discover there was a lot more muscle in Castiel's arms than his skinny frame gave away; he had pulled Dean up with barely any effort. Keeping his hand locked in Dean's, Castiel then began to walk into the forest, following the pathway. Dean kept close behind, his fingers curling tighter around Castiel's.

"Why do we need to go in here, Cas?" Dean asked after they had walked in silence for a few minutes.

"What I have to say I do not wish to be overheard."

Dean opened his mouth to respond to that, but Castiel glanced at him over his shoulder, warning him to wait. They fell back into silence. For a few more minutes they walked, before Castiel suddenly veered off the path, following a trail he obviously knew. He pushed low hanging branches out of the way, never once slowing down his pace or releasing his grip on Dean. Above them, the tree canopy created a greenish tinge to the light. It was strangely beautiful, with only the sounds of their footsteps and the creatures that called the forest home scurrying about.

All of a sudden, Castiel came to a halt. Dean, who had been peering up at the trees, hadn't noticed, and walked right into him. It was like walking right into a brick wall, and Dean stumbled backwards, shocked at both the abrupt halt and the solid form that was Castiel's body. They had stopped in a small clearing. The ground was covered in dewy grass, colourful flowers blossoming in random pockets all over the place. The trees seemed to bend slightly, obscuring the sun almost completely; only the weakest rays of sunshine were able to break through. Everything else shone with the same green light created by the leaves of the trees.

"I used to come here when I was younger." Castiel explained, turning around to smile serenely at Dean. "Whenever I needed peace and quiet."

"Yeah, yeah I can see why.." Dean nodded, giving the clearing a glance. "So.. Why don't you want to be overheard?"

Castiel sighed gently, and released his grip on Dean's hand. Once again, the scared look passed over his expression. "I have wanted to tell you this for a long time now, Dean."

"Tell me what?"

"Gabriel told Sam last night, and it has given me the courage to repeat his action." Castiel took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself. Dean noticed that he was clutching the folds of his trench coat, as if he were nervous.

"Cas, what -?"

"You need to know what I am, Dean. What my whole family are."

And before Dean could even form a response to that, Castiel had backed away several paces. His body twitched, and Dean stood frozen to the spot as two black wings stretched out from behind Castiel, arching up high above his head. His feathers were jet black and so shiny they glinted in one of the few sunbeams breaking into the clearing. As Castiel raised his head to look back at Dean, they moved too, very slowly and gracefully. Dean's eyes were fixed on them, his mouth hanging open slightly, eyes as wide as it was possible to go.

"What the hell.." He muttered weakly.

"My whole family are angels, Dean. Michael, Lucifer, Raphael, Gabriel.. And our Father is the Father of all creation."

"No.. No way." He mumbled, shaking his head. "This is some kind of sick joke, right, Cas?"

"This is the truth, Dean."

"No way. Angels don't exist, God doesn't exist.." Dean was still shaking his head. "This has gotta be a joke."

"This is no joke, Dean." Castiel said firmly, taking a step towards the Winchester. He froze however, when Dean scurried several paces back. "Dean..?" A jolt ran through his wings, and the hands that still clutched his trench coat tightened.

"Just.. Just tell me what the fuck's going on here, Castiel." Dean snapped, pointing a finger accusingly at the boy before him. "Did Gabriel put you up to this? 'Cos this isn't fucking funny."

"This is _not_ a joke Dean. Gabriel told Sam this last night, and he accepted it."

"No! You are _not_ a fucking monster!"

For a moment, Castiel was silent, but a shiver ran through his wings. He turned his eyes towards the ground.

"You are correct. I am not a monster." Castiel replied quietly, and the hurt was evident in his voice now. "I am an angel. If I were truly a monster like the things you and your father hunt, I would have attacked you a long time ago. My brothers, Gabriel aside, would have killed you all had they known about you. Gabriel and I tried to keep you, Sam and your father safe from them. _I_ kept _you_ safe, because for the first time, I felt a profound bond between myself and a human being. You." As he spoke, his wings curled around his body protectively.

Dean remained where he was, his initial panic beginning to ebb away. It was true that he and Castiel had been alone together plenty of times. It was equally true that both Castiel and Gabriel had gone out of their way to always be around him and Sam at school. Could that have been because they were keeping an eye on them, for fear of Lucifer finding them first? And even now, as he stood there, being told he had developed a crush on an _angel_, minutes were passing by and Castiel wasn't attacking. He and Dean were completely alone, and Castiel obviously harboured secret power. And yet, he was just standing there, looking just like a kicked puppy, his blue eyes pleading silently.

"Cas, I -" Dean began, ready to apologise, reaching towards Castiel.

The rest of Dean's sentence died in his throat as he heard a noise behind him that doused his insides in ice. The cocking of a gun. He whirled around, arm dropping like a lead weight to his side. John was standing there, shotgun aimed directly at Castiel, who was looking from Dean to his father.

"Dean..?" Castiel whispered, now sounding scared, wings curling further around his body.

"I'll shoot it in the wing. That'll slow it down." John snarled angrily, finger curling over the trigger.

Dean wasn't even aware of doing it. His feet just moved by themselves. One second he was standing just in front of his father, watching as he aimed a loaded gun at his boyfriend. The next, he was right in front of Castiel, still facing his father, curling his arms around Castiel's form protectively. His wings felt soft under his fingers. Castiel's hands curled around Dean's arms tightly. In front of them, John's jaw had dropped and his grip had tightened on the gun.

"What the _hell_ are you _doing_, Dean?" John snarled.

"You're not shooting Castiel, sir." He growled, voice equally menacing.

"Dean.." Castiel whispered from behind his back.

"Move boy!" John bellowed, apoplectic with rage. "If it's supernatural, it dies!"

Dean scowled, his nightmare bubbling up to the surface in his mind. "I won't let you shoot Castiel." He replied, his tone ice cold.

Just then, there was movement to the right of Dean and Castiel. They both turned to look in time to see Gabriel leading Sam into the clearing. Gabriel was laughing about something, and Sam was grinning in response, his hand held tightly in Gabriel's. They both froze when they saw the scene before them. Then, with a snarl of fury, Gabriel dropped Sam's hand and started towards John. Only Sam launching himself forward and grabbing the back of his jacket stopped him.

"Let me go, Sam! _Nobody_ threatens my brother!" He spat as John turned the gun on him instead.

"Dad, stop!" Sam yelled, yanking Gabriel backwards and stepping in front of the now snarling boy, arms thrown wide. "You're not shooting _either_ of them! Not unless you're willing to shoot us first."

There was a tense few moments in which John turned from face to face. Gabriel was staring at him like he was longing to rip him apart limb from limb. Sam was glaring back at him with furious determination, the glint in his eyes making it obvious that he was not going to budge. Dean had a similar expression to Gabriel; that if John took one step closer, he would do anything to prevent him from reaching Castiel. Castiel was the only one not looking at John; his blue eyes as ever were fixed solely on Dean.

Suddenly, there was a snap from somewhere behind Sam. He whirled around. Gabriel was still looking downright murderous, but his hand had risen, having just snapped his fingers. When twigs cracking reached Sam's ears, he turned again and saw to his immense shock, John turning on his heel and walking away without a word, the gun trailing on the ground behind him. Stunned, Sam glanced back at Gabriel.

"He won't remember a word of this." Gabriel said, his voice still malicious. "He's going back to your motel and he's going to sleep. He won't wake up until I let him. And when he wakes up, he's going to think he solved the case."

"You're not gonna hurt him, right..?" Sam asked tentatively. He was furious that John had turned the gun on both Castiel and Gabriel, but he was still their father, and he still loved him.

"Believe me Sammy, I want to. _Really_ bad. But I won't. Good thing you stopped me, Kiddo," He said, finally lowering his arm and looking up at Sam, "Otherwise you'd have had to watch me rip him a new one. Literally."

Sam sighed with relief, and pulled Gabriel into a hug. As soon as they'd left the hospital, Gabriel had suddenly gone very quiet and started dragging Sam in the general direction of the school. When questioned, he simply snapped that Dean was being a moron. He seemed to calm down the closer they got to the woods, however, only to properly lose his temper when he spotted John with the gun. Now, he was grinning as he hugged Sam back. He happened to glance over at Dean and Castiel, and sniggered.

"C'mon Sammy, let's get out of here."

"Huh? Why?"

Gabriel didn't verbally answer him. Instead, he nodded towards their brothers. Sam released Gabriel and glanced up in time to see Dean turning on his heel and enveloping Castiel in his arms, holding him tightly. As Castiel's wings curled around the two of them and he saw Dean's face lean closer to Castiel's, Sam rolled his eyes and grinned, turning both him and Gabriel around.

"Yeah sure. I feel awkward being near them right now. What are we gonna do?"

"Well, we could always go back to mine.. And I can show you just how sensitive an angel's wings can be.."

Laughing, Sam removed his arm from Gabriel and shoved him. The small archangel smirked as he stumbled sideways, catching himself and jogging to catch up with Sam.

* * *

><p>Dean and Castiel opted to go back to the motel for a number of reasons, the main one being neither wanted to risk overhearing whatever their brothers were up to. Upon their arrival they spotted John who, true to Gabriel's word, was lying flat on his bed, fast asleep. Dean led Castiel over to the sofa and the two sat down, watching the television. After a while, Castiel snuggled right up to Dean, resting his head on the Winchester's shoulder, and Dean curled his arm around Castiel's shoulders. A worryingly long time later, Sam and Gabriel arrived, their faces flushed and hair mussed. The moment Dean spotted the state his brother was in, he shot Sam a smirk and raised eyebrow. Sam's face turned an even brighter shade of red and he looked away.<p>

The rest of the evening was spent with the four of them squashed together on the sofa, watching pointless shows and talking. Most of their conversations resulted in Dean and Gabriel bickering with one another, while Sam and Castiel sat and watched. As midnight crept closer, Gabriel transported himself and Sam who knew where, so Dean led Castiel over to his bed and lay down with him, arms curled protectively around the angel. They stayed like that until Dean eventually fell asleep. Castiel lay beside him, tightening his hold around the human, _his_ human, watching as he slept peacefully.

When Dean awoke the next morning, it was to discover John up and about, shoving their belongings into their bags. On Sam's bed, his little brother was just stirring, but when he realised what was going on, he sat bolt upright in unison with Dean.

"Dad, what's going on?" Sam asked, throwing the covers off and leaping out of bed. Dean followed suit.

"Salted and burned the bones last night, so problem solved. We're moving out of here." John replied, and without waiting for a response from either of his sons, he left the motel.

Sam turned to Dean, his horror painted over his face. They had assumed that Gabriel would have left their father in his trance for at least the rest of the weekend. It appeared they were mistaken. Before either could say a word to the other, John was back, reaching for the strap of Dean's backpack.

"I'm dropping the stuff from the library back, and then we're out of here. Make sure you're ready." And with that, he left again. The moment the door slammed behind him, Dean turned his vision to the ceiling.

"Dean, what are you doing..?" Sam asked, eyeing his brother as if he'd finally snapped.

"It worked for you, didn't it?" He replied, still watching the ceiling. "Cas? Cas, can you hear me?"

For a moment, there was silence. Then, the fluttering of wings reached their ears, quickly followed by a yelp from Sam. Castiel had appeared directly beside him, making him jump out of his skin. There was a second sounding of wings, and Sam fell right into Gabriel's open arms. He stood there, leaning against Gabriel's chest, pressing a hand over his pounding heartbeat.

"I am never gonna get used to you guys doing that.." He whispered weakly, making Gabriel chuckle.

"What did you call me for, Dean?" Castiel asked, stepping right into Dean's personal space.

"It's our dad. He's making us leave. Again." Dean replied. "We've got maybe ten minutes."

"Ah." Castiel said quietly, nodding his head.

Dean visibly bristled. "That's all you got?"

"Deano, cool it. It's not like we're just gonna let you two up and vanish into thin air." Gabriel said sharply, a warning glint in his eye. "Besides, you can just call us any time and we'll be there in a second. Two, tops."

Castiel smiled, reaching forwards to take Dean's hand. "I will always come when you call, Dean."

It was lucky the two of them were so engrossed in staring at one another, because they didn't spot Gabriel mimicking retching behind them. Dean _did_ hear Sam's peal of laughter though, and turned around in time to spot Gabriel bent over, mouth open, midway through his impersonation. He then had to duck to avoid the remote control that Dean launched at his head.

Moments afterwards, the sound of the Impala approaching reached their ears. Sam quickly grabbed Gabriel by the front of his jacket and pulled him in for a kiss, which he happily returned. Dean turned away from them with a groan, a sound that he repeated when he saw Castiel still watching them. His head was tilted to the side like it always was when he was curious.

"Dude, what the _hell_?" He muttered, stepping into Castiel's eye line.

Castiel didn't answer him straight away. Instead, he stared directly at the t-shirt Dean was wearing, facial expression giving away nothing to do with what he was thinking. Then, just as Dean was about to speak again, Castiel reached up and entombed his fingers in the soft fabric of Dean's shirt. Before the Winchester could say a word, he was yanked forward just like Sam had done to Gabriel, and Castiel placed a quick kiss on his lips before the angel leant away again.

"I believe that is the necessary protocol for indicating I would like to kiss you?" Castiel asked, hand still scrunching up Dean's shirt.

Dean grinned, reaching towards and gripping hold of the lapels of Castiel's trench coat. "It's one of them," He murmured, before tugging the angel back towards him.

A moment later, they all heard the scraping of the lock, and with another flutter of wings, both Castiel and Gabriel vanished. Dean and Sam turned to see their father standing in the open doorway, nodding his head towards the outside. They both cast their eyes towards the motel ceiling, both obviously thinking about their respective angels. Without a word, they climbed into the Impala, each staring out of their windows lost in thought.

Sam felt worse than when he had had to leave Jessica. Although Gabriel had assured him all he would need to do was call, there was still a nagging doubt in his mind that told him different; that Gabriel would lose interest and move on. Gabriel didn't strike him as the type to stick to a committed relationship; he seemed to be more swayed in the direction of random hook-ups. He was certain that he and Gabriel would continue a long distance thing for a short while, and then eventually, inevitably, Gabriel would leave him. If nothing else, Gabriel was an _archangel_. If Sam was doing anything, he was _defiling_ an _archangel_. He shouldn't force Gabriel through that. And yet he had become too dependent on Gabriel to leave him. The thought alone was agonising.

Dean finally understood just what Sam had been feeling the last time he and his father had made him up and move. The thought of being away from Castiel was horrible. When Sam and John had been fighting over leaving before, Dean secretly felt that Sam would be able to get over Jessica in due time. But when he thought about someone telling _him_ he'd 'just get over' Castiel, it filled him with fury. Because what had started out as a stupid little crush had developed into something much _more_. More than anything, he wanted to jump out of the car and find Castiel, hold him tight and never let him go.

But neither of them said a word. They just sat in stony silence as their father drove them to a whole new town that could _never_ replace the one they were leaving behind.

* * *

><p>They arrived in a new town somewhere in Michigan very early on Sunday morning. After checking into the motel, all three Winchesters collapsed onto their beds, but only John slept. Dean and Sam lay awake, listening to the snores of their father in the slowly lightening room, their minds back with the angels they had left behind. Both wanted to try calling them, but considered it too risky when their father was still hanging around. For the rest of that day, John dragged them both along with him to the library to research their latest hunt, which looked like nothing more sinister than your average haunting.<p>

On Monday, John drove them both to the local school. Feeling thoroughly miserable, they traipsed in silence towards the entrance after he had left, wanting nothing more than to be walking in the opposite direction so they could finally be alone and call Castiel and Gabriel.

They must have taken a maximum of five steps inside the grounds when Sam felt somebody throw their arms around his neck and jump on him, curling their legs around his waist. He cried out and very nearly fell face forwards to the floor. With a yell, Dean whirled around, hand already delving inside his bag to grab the gun he kept hidden within, when he spotted the mop of golden brown hair.

"_Gabriel_?" He cried in disbelief.

"Guilty." He grinned, winding his arms tighter around Sam's neck. His eyes then swivelled to Dean's bag, and he pouted. "Were you gonna shoot me, Deano? That's not very nice.."

"What are you _doing_ here?" Sam was clutching Gabriel's wrists tightly, as if to convince himself the archangel was really _there_.

"Nothing keeping us where we were, so I arranged a transfer."

"Wait, did you just say 'us'?" Sam asked, grinning widely.

"Now Sammy, I know your brother and I don't get on, but come on.."

And right on cue, there came a voice from right behind the elder Winchester. "Hello, Dean."

Dean didn't even need to turn to know who it was; he had come to recognise that deep voice _anywhere_. He spun on his heel without a word and threw his arms around Castiel, who smiled at the hunter's reaction. His own arms curled around Dean, his head resting on the hunter's shoulder.

"What'd I tell ya, Sammy? We'll follow you guys anywhere." Gabriel smirked, placing a lollipop into his mouth. "Just make sure your dad doesn't pull a gun on us this time. Wouldn't do a damn thing to us, but I can't say I'll be able to keep my temper if he tries it."

"I'll keep that in mind. Could you get off my back now?" Sam laughed.

"Awh Sammy, you weren't saying that last night.." Gabriel sing-songed in Sam's ear, while the younger Winchester turned scarlet.

"_WHAT_?"

Gabriel laughed as he hopped off of Sam's back and tore off across the grounds, a fuming Dean on his heels. Castiel fell into step with the still furiously blushing Sam, and they watched as their brothers wove in-between groups of shocked students, Dean swearing like a trooper and bellowing insults or threats, and Gabriel cackling like a witch. And as they stood there, Sam felt an involuntary grin seep onto his face, before he was sniggering under his breath. Castiel stood beside him, utterly silent, but the smallest of smiles was playing on his lips.

"Something tells me this is gonna be eventful.." Sam muttered, still grinning.

Castiel nodded his agreement, smile widening. Both he and Gabriel had sacrificed everything, rebelled against their own brothers, just to be with the two Winchester boys. Castiel had never had a very good grip of human emotions, but he knew perfectly well what the one he felt at that moment was. For the first time in his long existence, he felt _happy_.

*End*

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><p><strong>Just want to say a great big thank you to anyone who reviewed, faved or added to alerts; I freaking love you all :D Great, big, bone-crushing hugs to each and every one of you! ^_^<strong>


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